Abstract
Block copolymers of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline (EtOx) and styrene were synthesized by a combination of cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Initially, a detailed kinetic investigation for the ?-bromoisobutyrylbromide (BrEBBr) initiated CROP of EtOx was performed in acetonitrile at different polymerization temperatures ranging from 100 to 180ÝC under microwave irradiation. Poly(2-ethyl-2- oxazoline) (PEtOx) homopolymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersity indices were synthesized in short reaction times. Polymers with relatively high molar masses and low polydispersity indices (Mn,SEC = 48 500 g/mol, PDI = 1.29) could also be obtained. Following the synthesis of a PEtOx macroinitiator (Mn,SEC = 3700 g/mol, PDI = 1.09), the ATRP of styrene was performed with CuBr and tris[2-(dimemylamino)ethyl]amine (Me 6Tren) as catalytic system. The micellization behavior of the obtained amphiphilic block copolymers was further investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). © 2008 American Chemical Society
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 5210-5215 |
Journal | Macromolecules |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 14 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2008 |