Synthesis of Novel Linear PEO‐b‐PS‐b‐PCL Triblock Copolymers by the Combination of ATRP, ROP, and a Click Reaction

Abstract

AbstractA new strategy to synthesize a series of well‐defined amphiphilic PEO‐b‐PS‐b‐PCL block copolymers is presented. First, bromine‐terminated diblock copolymers PEO‐b‐PS‐Br are prepared by ATRP of styrene, and converted into azido‐terminated PEO‐b‐PS‐N3 diblock copolymers. Then propargyl‐terminated PCL is prepared by ROP of ε‐caprolactone. The PEO‐b‐PS‐b‐PCL triblock copolymers with $\overline M _{\rm n}$ from 1.62 × 104 to 1.96 × 104 and a narrow PDI from 1.09 to 1.19 are finally synthesized from these precursors. The structures of these triblock copolymers and their precursors have been characterized by NMR, IR, and GPC analysis.magnified image