Cobalt porphyrin mediated living radical polymerization of acrylic acid in water

POLY 119

Chi-How Peng, howpeng@sas.upenn.edu and Bradford B. Wayland, Wayland@sas.upenn.edu. Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 S. 34 Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Low polydispersity high molecular weight polyacrylic acid is formed rapidly by the aqueous polymerization of acrylic acid initiated by an azo radical source (V-70) in the presence of cobalt complexes of tetra(3,5-disulfonatomesityl) porphyrin or tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin. Water soluble cobalt (II) porphyrins in conjunction with an azo radical source and acrylic acid (AA) react to produce organo-cobalt complexes that mediate the radical polymerization of AA in water. Linear increase in number average molecular weight with monomer conversion and relatively low polydispersity indicate the living character of the polymerization.