Atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene using a copper catalyst with a pseudohalogen anion

Atom transfer radical polymerization has been a very useful method in the recent advances in controlled radical polymerization. It needs an activated alkyl halide as an initiator and a copper halide as a catalyst. This investigation reports the successful application of copper thiocyanate, a catalyst with a pseudohalide anion, in the presence of different ligands such as N,N,N=,N,N',N'-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (HMTETA), pentyl-2-pyridylmethaneimine, and substituted bipyridine in the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene. Among the three ligands used, HMTETA was found to be very efficient. The polymers were characterized with C-13-NMR, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and gel permeation chromatography analysis. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.