Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of styrene using a novel thiophene dithioester as the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer agent

Abstract

Benzyl thiophene-2-carbodithioate and 2-methyl-2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-enyl)propyl thiophene-2-carbodithioate were synthesized. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerizations of styrene with benzyl thiophene-2-carbodithioate and 2-methyl-2-(4-methylcyclohex-3-enyl)propyl thiophene-2-carbodithioate as chaintransfer agents and with 2,2 0 -azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator were carried out. The polymerization kinetics were investigated. An ab initio calculation method was used to explore the differences between benzyl thiophene-2-carbodithioate and benzyl benzodithioate. The structure of the obtained polymers was characterized with 1 H-NMR. Chain-extension experiments of the obtained polymer with styrene were carried out.

RAFT Polymerization of Styrene Using Dithioester with Anthracene Z Group as Chain Transfer Agent

“…Meanwhile, it can also be found that the polymerization rate decreased after about 20 hours with AIBN as the initiator, which was probably due to the exhaustion of AIBN after 20 hours at 80 o C [10]. n,th 0 0 × conversion + molecular weight of BAC), and PDI value of the obtained polymer was less than 1.30.…”

“…According to the mechanism of RAFT polymerization, most of the polymer chains would be end-capped with the Z and R groups, which were derived from the RAFT agent, at the ω and α chain end, respectively [8]. Hereby, the RAFT polymerization provides an effective method of introducing functional group into polymer chain-end by the selection of appropriate RAFT agents [9][10][11][12]. The application of RAFT polymerization in the synthesis of end-functionalized materials has a promising future.…”