Tomoya Higashihara, Andong Feng, R. Faust
Jul 15, 2006
Citations
0
Influential Citations
23
Citations
Journal
Macromolecules
Abstract
The synthesis of poly(isobutylene-b-methyl methacrylate) has been accomplished by a novel coupling approach combining living cationic and anionic polymerization techniques. By capping living polyisobutylene (PIB) with 1,3-butadiene, a chloroallyl chain-end-functionalized PIB (PIB−AllylCl) was prepared. Coupling of the purified and isolated product and living poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMALi) was then attempted in tetrahydrofuran at −78 °C. However, coupling was absent, and the addition of cesium iodide as a catalyst to increase the coupling rate was also unsuccessful. Halogen exchange reaction of PIB−AllylCl using an excess of lithium bromide proceeded quantitatively to yield the bromoallyl counterpart (PIB−AllylBr). The PIB−AllylBr was coupled with PMMALi in THF at −78 °C with high efficiency (>95%) and yielded the expected diblock copolymer.