Dendrimer-star polymer and block copolymer prepared by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with dendritic chain transfer agent

A new reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, dendritic polyester with 16 dithiobenzoate terminal groups, was prepared and used in the RAFT polymerization of styrene (St) to produce star polystyrene (PSt) with a dendrimer core. It was found that this polymerization was of living characters, the molecular weight of the dendrimer-star polymers could be controlled and the polydispersities were narrow. The dendrimer-star block copolymers of St and methyl acrylate (MA) were also prepared by the successive RAFT polymerization using the dendrimer-star PSt as macro chain transfer agent. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.