Control of polymer structure by a chain-transfer reaction in the radical polymerization of acrylamide by β-mercaptopropionic acid and 1,2,6-hexanetriol trithioglycolate

Abstract

Star polymer synthesis by radical polymerization of acrylamide (AM) in the presence of thiol compounds was investigated. When 1,2,6-hexanetriol trithioglycolate (HTTG), as a trithiol compound, was used the molecular weights of the polymers were about 3 times those obtained in the presence of β-mercaptopropionic acid, as a monothiol compound, at the same concentration of thiol compounds in the feed. From viscosity measurements of the polymers and analysis of the 1H NMR spectra of the polymers, we presumed that a star-shaped polymer of AM could be synthesized by radical polymerization in the presence of HTTG.