Triblock copolymer synthesis via controlled radical polymerization in solution using S-tert-alkyl-N,N-alkoxycarbonylalkyldithiocarbamate RAFT agents

This paper presents the solution homopolymerization, random and block copolymerization of acrylic monomers, mediated using an S-(1,4-phenylenebis(propane-2,2-diyl)) bis(N,N-butoxycarbonylmethyldithiocarbamate) RAFT agent. Fair to good control was obtained over the solution homopolymerization of various acrylic monomers. Although inhibition periods were observed, nearly no retardation was found to occur. Satisfactory control was also obtained over the solution copolymerization of n-butyl acrylate with methacrylic acid, mediated using this RAFT agent. Finally, triblock copolymer synthesis, starting from the macromolecular intermediates produced in the homo- and copolymerization experiments, was studied, and was shown to be successful. The observed relatively broad molar mass distributions could be explained by a partial decomposition of the dithiocarbarnate-based RAFT agent during synthesis and/or polymerization, for which strong indications were obtained by performing a careful MALDI-ToF MS analysis. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.