Synthesis and Characterization of Star Polymers Initiated by Hexafunctional Discotic Initiator through Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

摘要

A novel hexafunctional discotic initiator, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12-hexakis(2-bromobutyryloxy)triphenylene (HBTP), was synthexized by the esterification of 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12-hexahydroxytriphenylene with 2-bromobutyryl chloride. Atom transfer radical polymerizations of styrene, methyl acrylate, and n-butyl acrylate were carried out in 50 vol % tetrahydrofuran with HBTP/copper(I) bromide/2, 2'-bipyridyl as and initiation system. The polymers produced had well-controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (<1.2). On the basis of ~1H NMR spectra of the star polymer and its hydrolyzed products, we can conclude that the initiator quantitatively initated the polymerization of vinyl monomers and that a star polymer with a discotic core was obtained.