Iron catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate using diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine as a ligand

The living radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) by atom transfer radical polymerization, (ATRP) employing a Fe(II)X-2/diphenyl-2-pyridyl phosphine (PyP) catalytic system (X = Cl, Br), was investigated using several initiators and solvents at various temperatures. Most of the polymerizations with the PyP ligand were well controlled, with a linear increase in the number average molecular weights (M-n) vs. conversion, with relatively low molecular weight distributions (M-w/M-n = 1.2-1.4) throughout the reactions. The measured weights matched those of the predicted values. The ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrate (EBriB) initiated ATRP of MMA, with the Fe(II)X-2/diphenyl-2-pyridyl phosphine catalytic system (X = Cl, Br), was better controlled in p-xylene at 80 degrees C than the other solvents used in this study.