Graft copolymers from commercial chlorinated polypropylene via Cu(0)-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization

Abstract

Commercially available chlorinated polypropylene has been used as a macroinitiator for the Cu(0)-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and tert-butyl acrylate to obtain well-defined graft copolymers. The relatively narrow molecular weight distribution in the graft copolymers and linear kinetic plots indicated the controlled nature of the copolymerization reactions. Both Fourier transform infrared and H-1 NMR studies confirmed that the graft reactions had taken place successfully. After graft copolymer formation, tert-butyl groups of poly(tert-butyl acrylate) side chains were completely converted into poly(acrylic acid) chains to afford corresponding amphiphilic graft copolymers. (c) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry