Synthesis of AB2-type star-shaped ethylene-styrene block copolymers by combining Pd-diimine catalyzed ethylene living polymerization with ATRP

PMSE 498

Xiubo Tang and Zhibin Ye, zye@laurentian.ca. School of Engineering, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E2C6, Canada
We report a unique strategy for synthesis of AB2-type star-shaped ethylene-styrene block copolymers by combining Pd-diimine catalyzed ethylene living polymerization with ATRP of styrene. Narrow-distributed telechelic polyethylene (PE) with one end capped with two identical ATRP sites were directly prepared in one step by living polymerization of ethylene using a tailor-designed functionalized Pd-diimine catalyst. The telechelic PE was then used as a macroinitiator for the ATRP of monomers like styrene (St), yielding the AB2-type star-shaped block copolymer having one PE arm (A block) and two identical PSt arms (B blocks). Using this strategy, a variety of well-defined polymers with PE and PSt arms having controlled lengths can be conveniently synthesized.