Preparation and characterization of star ABC triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide,styrene and methyl methacrylate

Abstract

A universally significant method, which combines the anionic polymerization with photoinduced charge transfer polyrnerization, for preparation of soluble star ABC triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide, styrene and methyl methacrylate, was described. The poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block was formed by initiation of phenoxy anions usingp-aminophenol protected by Schiff’s base as the parent compound. Then the charge transfer system composed of PEO chains with deprotected-amino end groups and benzophenone initiated the polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate sequentially under UV irradiation. The formed star triblock copolymer of styrene, ethylene oxide and methyl methacrylate could be purified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and characterized by IR,1H NMR, GPC (gel permeation chromatogrphy) and PGC (pyrolysis gas chromatography).