Structure of Styrene and Acrylate Block Copolymers

Using UV light as the energy source and polystyrene- (PS-) or polymethyl methacrylate- (PMMA-) macroinitiators with active aromatic or aliphatic thiyl end groups, PS-PMMA and PMMA-PEA (poly-ethyl acrylate) block copolymers were synthesized. The molecular weights of both block copolymers increased with increasing reaction time. The reactivity of macroinitiators depended on the type of thiyl groups and monomer and not on the length of the polymer chain. The most reactive were macroinitiators containing resonance stabilized nonsubstituted or substituted aromatic end groups. The decomposition of the macroinitiators took place over the formation of the thiyl radical and macroradical. The bond length, the bond dissociation energy, and the bond order of macroradical end groups were calculated. The most reactive monomer was ethyl acrylate; the less reactive was styrene. The structure, the molecular weight, and the T-g of the styrene-acrylate block copolymers were determined. The PMMA/PEA block copolymer had two of block's T(g)s, the first at 105 degrees C, the second at -24 degrees C, and a third at 16 degrees C which probably represents contacting segments.