Issue 30, 2021

Bromoform-assisted aqueous free radical polymerisation: a simple, inexpensive route for the preparation of block copolymers

Abstract

In the quest for commercially relevant block copolymer additives, for which overall average molecular composition is key but molar mass distribution is of little importance, we present a straightforward, sulfur- and metal-free aqueous route to block copolymers using commercially available starting materials. Based on synthetic techniques first described in the 1950s for hydrophobic monomers in organic solvents, we have shown that bromoform (CHBr3) can be used to create block copolymers. Unlike common bromine-containing chain transfer agents such as carbon tetrabromide (CBr4), bromoform is partially water-miscible and relatively inexpensive. Herein, we demonstrate this new aqueous-based technology using N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as exemplar monomers to synthesise PDMA-b-PNIPAM block copolymers of varying composition directly in water. This study demonstrates the potential for such a simple, inexpensive route to functional block copolymers where further research to decipher the detailed mechanism and true potential of this technique will be of great value.

Graphical abstract: Bromoform-assisted aqueous free radical polymerisation: a simple, inexpensive route for the preparation of block copolymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
18 May 2021
Accepted
12 Jul 2021
First published
13 Jul 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 4317-4325

Bromoform-assisted aqueous free radical polymerisation: a simple, inexpensive route for the preparation of block copolymers

H. J. Hutchins-Crawford, P. Ninjiaranai, M. J. Derry, R. Molloy, B. J. Tighe and P. D. Topham, Polym. Chem., 2021, 12, 4317 DOI: 10.1039/D1PY00672J

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