Controlled Synthesis and Degradation of Poly(N‐(isobutoxymethyl) acrylamide) Homopolymers and Block Copolymers. Issue 2 (28th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: King, Benjamin; Lessard, Benoît H.
• Is Part Of: Macromolecular reaction engineering. Volume 11:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-02-28
• Subjects: controlled polymerization -- N‐(isobutoxymethyl) acrylamide -- nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) -- RDRP -- thermal degradation; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; Reaction mechanisms (Chemistry) -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1002/mren.201600073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1862-832X

Abstract

Abstract : Novel water‐insoluble poly(acrylamide) homopolymers and block copolymers are synthesized using nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP). The kinetics, molecular weight characteristics, and the thermal‐mechanical properties are assessed. NMP is successful in synthesizing well‐defined pseudo‐living poly(acrylamides) and the resulting products are determined to undergo an imidization reaction when heated. Abstract : The homopolymerization of the water‐insoluble N ‐(isobutoxymethyl)acrylamide (IBMA) is investigated for the first time by nitroxide‐mediated polymerization. The homopolymerization is characterized by a linear increase in number average molecular weight ( M n ) versus conversion ( X ) to X > 0.80 while maintaining dispersities of M w / M n < 1.30. A strong Arrhenius relationship correlates the apparent rate constants and the homopolymerization temperatures between 105 and 120 °C. All poly(IBMA) homopolymers are then successfully chain‐extended with styrene (S) to form well‐defined block copolymers of poly(IBMA) ‐b‐ poly(S) suggesting a high degree of livingness of the poly(IBMA) macroinitiators. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry are both used to characterize the thermal properties of the homopolymers and block copolymers and identify possible unique degradation of the poly(IBMA) block through imide formation at elevated temperatures.