Novel well‐defined star homopolymers and star‐block copolymers of poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate) by anionic polymerization

Abstract

AbstractAnionic polymerization high‐vacuum techniques and appropriate multifunctional initiators/additives were employed for the synthesis of novel star structures of poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC). A new trifunctional initiator prepared by the reaction of tris(4‐isocyanatophenyl)methane with benzyl sodium was used for the synthesis of three‐arm star PHIC. Divinyl benzene and the core‐first or the arm‐first/core‐first (in‐out) approach were utilized for the synthesis of multiarm star homopolymers, (PHIC)n, star‐block copolymers, (PHIC‐b‐PI)n, and miktoarm star copolymers, (PS)n(PHIC)n, where PS is polystyrene. The molecular characteristics obtained by size‐exclusion chromatography, equipped with refractive index and two‐angle light scattering detectors, nuclear magnetic resonance, spectroscopy, and dilute solution viscometry showed that well‐defined structures were synthesized in this study. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2387–2399, 2007