An Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: Synthesis of Well-Defined Polymers by Low-Catalyst-Concentration ATRP and Postpolymerization Modification to Fluorescent Materials

Abstract

A two-session experiment is designed to introduce undergraduate students to concepts in catalysis, transition metal complexes, polymer synthesis, and postpolymerization modifications. In the first session, students synthesize poly(glycidyl methacrylate) via low-catalyst-concentration atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The low-catalyst-concentration technique simplifies the experimental setup, reduces the cost of the synthesis, eliminates the need for catalyst removal from the product, and thus ultimately makes ATRP an environmentally benign process. In the second session, students modify the well-defined epoxide-containing polymers with nicotinamide in the presence of acetone, to afford fluorescent polymers.