ATRP of N-Hydroxyethyl Acrylamide in the Presence of Lewis Acids: Control of Tacticity, Molecular Weight, and Architecture

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2019 May;40(10):e1800877. doi: 10.1002/marc.201800877. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Abstract

Good control of tacticity, molecular weight, and architecture is attained via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA), in a one-pot process in the presence of Y(OTf)3 . The effect of temperature, ratio of [Y(OTf)3 ]/[HEAA], and ATRP procedure on the tacticity and degree of control over the polymerization is investigated in detail. Under optimal conditions, using photo ATRP and 15% Y(OTf)3, the content of meso dyads (m) can be increased from 42% to 80% in a homopolymer with a dispersity D = 1.22. Well-defined stereoblock copolymers, atactic- b -isotactic poly(HEAA), with D = 1.27, are obtained by adding Y(OTf)3 at a specific conversion, initially started without Y(OTf)3 .

Keywords: N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide; ATRP; Lewis acids; tacticity.

MeSH terms

  • Acrylamides / chemical synthesis*
  • Acrylamides / chemistry
  • Lewis Acids / chemical synthesis
  • Lewis Acids / chemistry*
  • Molecular Weight
  • Polymerization*
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis*
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Acrylamides
  • Lewis Acids
  • Polymers