Comb-like polymers and graft copolymers from macromers

Abstract

One of the most interesting techniques for the preparation of comb-like polymers and graft copolymers consists of the homopolymerization or copolymerization of a macromer. The macromer concept (macromoleculer monomer) was developed by Milkovich (1-3) and represents a polymer containing a polymerizable group at one chain end. The interest in this novel strategy for the preparation of graft copolymers developed only after Vogl reviewed this concept (4). Since then, several research groups have become actively engaged in the use of the macromer technique for the synthesis of novel graft copolymers (5-11). This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of methacrylate(PS-MM) and styrene-type (PS-St) macromers of aromatic polyether sulfones. The first step of the synthetic procedure is the synthesis of an aromatic polyether sulfone containing one phenol end group (PS-OH). PS-MMwas obtained by esterification of PS-OH phenol chain ends with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of 4-N,N-dimethylaminopyridine. PS-St was synthesized by Williamson etherification of the PS-OH phenol end groups with a commercial mixture of mand p-chloromethylstyrene in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate phase transfer catalyst. In both cases 200 MHz IHand 50 MHz 13C-NMR, and FTIR spectroscopies were used to demonstrate the quantitative functionalization of PS-OH phenol end groups.