Synthesis of Amphiphilic Copolymers of Acrylic Acid and Styrene with the Desired Microstructure and Their Properties

Abstract

The regularities of the controlled synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers of styrene and acrylic acid mediated by dithiobenzoate and trithiocarbonates as reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer agents in a 1,4-dioxane solution are considered. The influence of the general composition and chain microstructure on the dispersion stability and hydrodynamic sizes of polymer particles of copolymers containing from 40 to 90 mol % of acrylic acid units is studied. It is shown that in dilute aqueous media random copolymers are dispersed to individual compacted coils owing to the intrachain hydrophobic association of styrene units. The addition of two poly(acrylic acid) blocks to such a copolymer improves its dispersibility in water, and the attachment of two polystyrene blocks makes it insoluble in water because of the interchain association of polystyrene units. The synthesized copolymers possess surface activity, and when applied to a hydrophilic glass surface, they moderately hydrophobize it. In general, this synthetic approach opens up broad prospects for obtaining a wide range of new polymer macromolecules with different properties from one pair of traditional monomers.