Controlled RAFT polymerization of N-vinylphthalimide and its hydrazinolysis to poly(vinyl amine)

Polymerization of NVPI was carried out by a RAFT process using five xanthate-type, a dithiocarbamate-type, and a dithioester-type CTA. The xanthate-type [O-ethyl-S-(1-ethoxy carbonyl) ethyl dithiocarbonate and O-ethyl-S-(1-ethoxycarbonyl-1-methyl) ethyl dithiocarbonate] and the dithiocarbamate-type CTA (benzyl-1-pyrrolecarbodithioate) were the most efficient to obtain poly(NVPI) with controlled molecular weights ((M) over bar (n) = 4100-13000) and low polydispersities ((M) over bar (w)/(M) over bar (n) = 1.29-1.38). The effects of parameters such as solvent, temperature, and CTA- to-initiator molar ratio, were examined in order to determine the conditions leading to optimal control of the polymerization.