Iodine‐Transfer Polymerization (ITP) of Ethylene and Copolymerization with Vinyl Acetate. (24th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wolpers, A.; Baffie, F.; Verrieux, L.; Perrin, L.; Monteil, V.; D'Agosto, F.
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 132:Number 43(2020)
• Page Start: 19466
• Page End: 19472
• Publication Date: 2020-08-24
• Subjects: copolymers -- ethylene -- iodine transfer polymerization (ITP) -- polymerization -- vinyl acetate; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202008872
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: Controlled radical polymerization of ethylene using different commercially available, cheap, and non‐toxic iodo alkyls is performed by iodine transfer polymerization (ITP) under mild conditions (≤100 °C and ≤200 bar). The formed well‐defined iodo end‐capped polyethylene (PE−I) species is very stable upon storage. Narrow molar‐mass distributions (dispersities around 1.6) were obtained up to number average molar masses of 7300 g mol −1 . The ethylene copolymerization by ITP (ITcoP) with vinyl acetate allowed to form a broad range of poly(ethylene‐ co ‐vinyl acetate) (EVA) containing from 0 to 85 mol % of VAc unit. In addition, EVA‐ b ‐PE block copolymers or EVA‐ b ‐EVA gradient block copolymers with different content of VAc in the blocks were obtained for the first time using ITP. Finally, reactivity trends were explored by a theoretical mechanistic study. This highly versatile synthetic platform provides a straightforward access to a diverse range of well‐defined PE based polymer materials. Abstract : Controlled radical polymerization of ethylene was conducted through ITP. Copolymerization with vinyl acetate provides a range of well‐defined structures, including poly(ethylene‐ co ‐vinyl acetate) containing VAc from 0 to 85 mol %.