Synthesis Of Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers By ATRP And Star Polymers By One-Pot Technique Via Living Radical Copolymerization

This dissertation consists of the following two parts: In the first part, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 1-(butoxy)ethyl methacrylate (BEMA) was carried out using CuBr/bpy complex as catalyst and 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid ester as initiator. The number averaged molecular weights of the obtained polymers increased linearly with monomer conversion, and molecular weight distributions were unimodal throughout the reaction. Using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a bromine atom at the chain end, which was prepared by ATRP, as the macroinitiator, a diblock copolymer PMMA-b-poly(1-(butoxy)ethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-PBEMA) was synthesized by means of ATRP of BEMA. The amphiphilic diblock copolymer PMMA-b-poly(methacrylic acid) can be further obtained very easily by hydrolysis of PMMA-b-PBEMA under a mild acid condition. The molecular weight and the structure of the above mentioned polymers were characterized with gel permeation chromatography, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. In the second part, atom transfer radical copolymerization of styrene and bismaleimide was carried out using CuBr/bpy or CuBr/PMDETA complex as catalyst and 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid ethyl ester as initiator, and star polystyrenes were obtained. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of styrene and bismaleimide was carried out using 2-(ethoxycarbonyl)prop-2-yl dithiobenzoate as RAFT agent and AIBN as initiator, and star polystyrenes were also obtained. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the obtained star polymers were characterized with gel permeation chromatography.