Synthesis of high molecular weight poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) copolymers with controlled architecture

High molecular weight styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers were prepared under azeotropic conditions (60 mol % of styrene) by ARGET (activators regenerated by electron transfer) ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) at 80 C in anisole. When a normal ATRP of styrene and acrylonitrile was conducted, the molecular weight of the resulting SAN copolymers was limited due to outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions. This was due to oxidation of polystyryl radicals to carbocations or reduction of polyacrylonitirile radicals to carbanions via reactions with Cu(II) and Cu(I) species, respectively. Since ARGET ATRP employs much lower concentrations of copper catalyst, the contributions of these side reactions are reduced, enabling formation of high molecular weight SAN copolymers (M-n similar to 200 000) with low polydispersity (M-w/M-n < 1.3). Additionally, SAN copolymers with controlled chain architecture were prepared including block copolymers and starlike copolymers.