Issue 6, 2020

Precision AABB-type cyclocopolymers via alternating cyclocopolymerization of disiloxane-tethered divinyl monomers

Abstract

Attempts to synthesize copolymers with structural sophistication and precision still remain elusive. Here, we report a facile synthesis of a new type of precision cyclocopolymer containing an AABB-type repeating chain sequence via the free radical cyclopolymerization of divinyl monomers bMA and bSt in the presence of ZnCl2. RAFT polymerization conditions can afford the AABB-type alternating cyclocopolymers with controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity. Kinetic research on the cyclocopolymerization shows that bMA and bSt polymerize in an equimolar ratio during the ZnCl2-modulated RAFT copolymerization process. The AABB-type alternating structures are verified by 2D 1H–13C COSY techniques and MALDI-TOF MS. The main-chain CH or CH2 NMR signals (both 1H and 13C NMR) in the cyclocopolymers suggest a chain sequence of a high order, and prove the absence of either the homopolymer structures or the intersecting ABAB-type structure. MALDI-TOF MS shows that the cyclocopolymer has a regularly repeating structure and a uniform repeating unit. In the absence of ZnCl2, bMA prefers to homopolymerize. Our work shows that the alternating cyclocopolymerization is a facile route to afford cyclocopolymers with a precision chain sequence and group spacing.

Graphical abstract: Precision AABB-type cyclocopolymers via alternating cyclocopolymerization of disiloxane-tethered divinyl monomers

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Nov 2019
Accepted
16 Dec 2019
First published
20 Dec 2019

Polym. Chem., 2020,11, 1171-1176

Precision AABB-type cyclocopolymers via alternating cyclocopolymerization of disiloxane-tethered divinyl monomers

J. Lu, J. Li, J. Wang, M. Du and H. Liu, Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 1171 DOI: 10.1039/C9PY01748H

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