Synthesis of telechelic oligomers by atom transfer radical polymerization: A study of acrylate monomers

Different acrylate oligomers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of a transfer agent and CuBr/1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine. The functionality in bromine was determined by H-1 NMR. These oligomers were coupled in the presence of Cu-(O) and the ligand 2,2'-bipyridine. The coupling yield was determined by size exclusion chromatography and NMR analysis and depended on the nature of the monomer and not on the molecular weight. In other words, the preliminary functionalization of the brominated chain end with styrene increased the coupling yield. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.