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Controllably Growing Topologies in One-shot RAFT Polymerization via Macro-latent Monomer Strategy

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Abstract

The controlled and efficient synthesis of polymers with tailored topologies is challenging but important for exploring structure/property research. Herein, we proposed a concept of macro-latent monomer to achieve the controlled growth of polymer topologies. The macro-latent monomer was installed by a dynamic furan/maleimide covalent bond at the chain terminal. One-shot reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene and the macro-latent monomer created controlled growth of polymer topologies. Low temperature such as 40 °C could not activate the macro-latent monomer and thus the polymerization created the homo-polystyrene. By contrast, high temperature of ∼110 °C activated the macro-latent monomer, and a maleimide-terminated macro-monomer was released via the retro-Diels Alder reaction. This macro-monomer immediately joined the cross polymerization with styrene and thus produced the side chains. By delicately manipulating the polymerization temperature, the predetermined placement of the macro-latent monomer-derived polymeric side-chains created controllably growing topologies, including star-, π-shaped, and density-variable grafting copolymers. This work paved a new way for creating on-demand topologies and would greatly enrich the topology synthesis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21925107 and 21674072), the Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and the Program of Innovative Research Team of Soochow University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application; College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Liu-Qiao Zhang, Yang Gao, Zhi-Hao Huang, Wei Zhang, Nian-Chen Zhou, Zheng-Biao Zhang & Xiu-Lin Zhu

  2. Global Institute of Software Technology, Suzhou, 215163, China

    Xiu-Lin Zhu

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  1. Liu-Qiao Zhang
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  2. Yang Gao
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  4. Wei Zhang
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Correspondence to Wei Zhang or Zheng-Biao Zhang.

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Zhang, LQ., Gao, Y., Huang, ZH. et al. Controllably Growing Topologies in One-shot RAFT Polymerization via Macro-latent Monomer Strategy. Chin J Polym Sci 39, 60–69 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-020-2463-1

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