Well‐Controlled Living Polymerization of Phenylacetylenes in Water: Synthesis of Water‐Soluble Stereoregular Telechelic Poly(phenylacetylene)s

Abstract

AbstractWell‐controlled living polymerization of water‐soluble phenylacetylene derivatives in water was achieved for the first time using a multicomponent catalytic system consisting of [Rh(nbd)Cl]2, an aryl boronic acid, diphenylacetylene having carboxy groups, a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide, and a water‐soluble triphenylphosphine. This catalytic system enables a direct synthesis of various water‐soluble cis‐stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene)s having a narrow molecular weight distribution, the molecular weight of which can be controlled by the initial feed ratio of the monomer to the catalyst. Moreover, the syntheses of water‐soluble telechelic poly(phenylacetylene)s having various functional groups at both chain ends as well as a water‐soluble block copolymer were achieved.