Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) of Methyl Methacrylate using a Functional Initiator Bearing an Amino-Adamantane

This investigation reports the preparation of poly(methyl methacrylate)s bearing amino adamantyl functionality as the end-group via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using amino-adamantyl isobutyryl bromide (Am-AdiBr) as initiator. The rate of polymerization was slow compared to that of ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using conventional ATRP initiator. This may be due to the coordination between amine group and copper catalyst. All the polymers had well-defined end group. The presence of end group was confirmed by H-1 NMR, MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, and block copolymerization experiments using PMMA bearing -Br end group as the macroinitiator. The thermal properties of the polymer were investigated by TGA and DSC analysis.