RAFT Polymerization of 1-Ethoxyethyl Acrylate: A Novel Route toward Near-Monodisperse Poly(acrylic acid) and Derived Block Copolymer Structures
-
Hoogenboom, Richard; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Camp, Wim Van; Prez, Filip E. Du
- Abstract:
- The reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 1-ethoxyethyl
acrylate (EEA) was demonstrated. Temperature optimization revealed an optimum polymerization
temperature of 70 °C. Deprotection of the p(EEA) could be performed by a simple heating step, under
mild conditions leading to well-defined poly(acrylic acid) (p(AA)) and under more severe conditions resulting
in cross-linked networks of p(AA). In addition, block copolymers with a poly(methyl acrylate), a poly(nbutyl
acrylate), a poly(methyl methacrylate), or a poly(N,N-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) first block
and a p(EEA) second block were successfully synthesized by RAFT polymerization in toluene as was
demonstrated by GPC and 1H NMR characterization. For all these experiments, a high-throughput
workflow procedure was used. Deprotection of the p(EEA) containing block copolymers was also performed,
resulting in well-defined p(AA) containing materials as evidenced by both GPC and 1H NMR spectroscopy.
- Year:
- 2005
- Type of Publication:
- Article
- Journal:
- Macromolecules
- Volume:
- 38
- Pages:
- 7653 - 7659