Combining photocontrolled-cationic and anionic-group-transfer polymerizations using a universal mediator: enabling access to two- and three-mechanism block copolymers.

ABSTRACT: An ongoing challenge in polymer chemistry is accessing diverse block copolymers from multiple polymerization mechanisms and monomer classes. One strategy to accomplish this goal without intermediate compatibilization steps is the use of universal mediators. Thiocarbonyl thio (TCT) functional groups are well-known mediators to combine radical with either cationic or anionic polymerization, but a sequential cationic-anionic universal mediator system has never been reported. Herein, we report a TCT universal mediator that can sequentially perform photocontrolled cationic polymerization and thioacyl anionic group transfer polymerization to access poly(ethyl vinyl ether)-block-poly(thiirane) polymers for the first time. Thermal analyses of these block copolymers provide evidence of micro

SUBMITTER: Hosford BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11339941 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature