Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization of 4-Vinylbenzaldehyde. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The direct reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 4-vinylbenzaldehyde (VBA) was established as a new synthetic method for the preparation of well-defined poly(vinylbenzaldehyde) (PVBA), a polymer having reactive aldehyde side chain substiuents. RAFT polymerization of VBA was investigated using S-1-dodecyl-S'-(,'-dimethyl-"-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (DDMAT) as chain transfer agent (CTA) and 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as initiator in 1,4-dioxane or 2-butanone at 70-75 C for 7.5-22.5 h. With 45-76% of monomer conversion, the resulting PVBA had well controlled number-average molecular weight (M(n)) and low polydispersity (PDI < 1.17). The living characteristic of the RAFT polymerization process was confirmed by the linearity between the M(n) values of PVBA and monomer conversions. Well-defined PVBA was further used as a macromolecular chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) in RAFT polymerization of styrene (St), and a block copolymer PVBA-b-PSt with relatively low polydispersity (PDI = 1.20) was successfully synthesized.

published proceedings

  • Macromolecules

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Sun, G., Cheng, C., & Wooley, K. L.

citation count

  • 76

complete list of authors

  • Sun, Guorong||Cheng, Chong||Wooley, Karen L

publication date

  • February 2007