Single electron transfer-degenerative chain transfer living radical polymerization of N-butyl acrylate catalyzed by Na2S2O4 in water media

Abstract

Living radical polymerization of n-butyl acrylate was achieved by single electron transfer/degenerative-chain transfer mediated living radical polymerization in water catalyzed by sodium dithionate. The plots of number-average molecular weight versus conversion and ln[M]0/[M] versus time are linear, indicating a controlled polymerization. This methodology leads to the preparation of alpha,omega-di(iodo) poly (butyl acrylate) (alpha,omega-di(iodo)PBA) macroinitiators. The influence of polymerization degree ([monomer]/[initiator]), amount of catalyst, concentration of suspending agents and temperature were studied. The molecular weight distributions were determined using a combination of three detectors (TriSEC): right-angle light scattering (RALLS), a differential viscometer (DV), and refractive index (RI). The methodology studied in this work represents a possible route to prepare well-tailored macromolecules made of butyl acrylate in an environmental friendly reaction medium. Moreover, such materials can be subsequently functionalized leading to the formation of different block copolymers of composition ABA. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2809-2825, 2006