Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 19 Division Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2018 Jan 22;57(4):962-966. doi: 10.1002/anie.201710754. Epub 2017 Nov 30.
Ab initio emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using a water-soluble organotellurium chain transfer agent in the presence of the surfactant Brij 98 in water is reported. Polymerization proceeded under both thermal and visible light-irradiation conditions, giving poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with controlled molecular weight and low dispersity (Đ<1.5). Despite the formation of an opaque latex, the photoactivation of the organotellurium dormant species took place efficiently, as demonstrated by the quantitative monomer conversion and temporal control. Control of polymer particle size (PDI<0.030) was also achieved using a semi-batch monomer addition process. The PMMA polymer in the particles retained high end-group fidelity and was successfully used for the synthesis of block copolymers.
本文报道了在水溶性有机碲链转移剂和表面活性剂 Brij 98 的存在下，通过乳液聚合的方法，使甲基丙烯酸甲酯（MMA）聚合。聚合可以在热和可见光照射条件下进行，得到了分子量可控、分散度低（Đ<1.5）的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）。尽管形成了不透明的乳液，但有机碲休眠种的光活化仍然有效地发生了，这可以通过定量的单体转化率和时间控制来证明。使用半分批加入单体的方法，还可以控制聚合物颗粒的大小（PDI<0.030）。颗粒中的 PMMA 聚合物保留了较高的端基保真度，并成功地用于合成嵌段共聚物。
