Amine-Reactive Polymers Synthesized by RAFT Polymerization Using an Azlactone Functional Trithiocarbonate RAFT Agent

The Hien Ho (1) , Flavien Leroux (1) , Sagrario Pascual (1) , V. Montembault (1) , Laurent Fontaine (1)

1 IMMM - Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans

A new azlactone-derived trithiocarbonate is prepared and used as a chain-transfer agent to mediate the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene, ethyl acrylate, and N-isopropyl acrylamide. Well-defined polymers with controlled molecular weights (Mn = 1000–7000 g mol−1) and narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI = 1.05–1.10) are thus obtained that retain the azlactone functionality at the chain end. The ability of the resulting end-functionalized polymers to react quantitatively at room temperature with a stoichiometric amount of amino groups with retention of the thiocarbonylthio moiety is ascertained by using 4-fluorobenzylamine and allylamine.

Mots clés: azlactone; chain-transfer agent; functionalization of polymers; RAFT polymerization; ring-opening reactions

Domaines: Polymères

The Hien Ho, Flavien Leroux, Sagrario Pascual, V. Montembault, Laurent Fontaine. Amine-Reactive Polymers Synthesized by RAFT Polymerization Using an Azlactone Functional Trithiocarbonate RAFT Agent. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2012, 33 (20), pp.1753-1758. ⟨10.1002/marc.201200367⟩. ⟨hal-00782850⟩