Synthesis through ATRP and Characterization of hydrophobic polystyrene-block-polyethylene glycol-block-polystyrene tri-block copolymer: A simple laboratory approach

摘要

Simple laboratory synthesis of poly (styrene)-block-poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly(styrene) (PS-PEG-PS) tri-block copolymer (TBC) using versatile atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique is reported. Chloro-and Bromo-PEG macroinitiators were synthesized by the transformation of the end group of PEG through 2-chloro or bromo propionyl chloride which was subsequently used in the preparation of symmetrical TBC of PS-PEG-PS under ATRP conditions using styrene as monomers. The PEG-macroinitiators and synthesized TBC were characterized by FT-IR and ~1H-NMR spectroscopy. The average molecular weight and molecular weight distributions of the TBC were obtained using GPC analysis. The experimental results showed that the polymerization was controlled/living with the PDI=1.4. The thermal behaviour and compositional properties of the TBC were studied using TGA.