High Molecular Weight PMMA by ATRP

Atom transfer radical polymn. kinetics was examd. in a high monomer-initiator ratio system to evaluate the possibility of obtaining low polydispersity high mol. wt. polymethyl methacrylate by a one-pot synthesis. Three different ligands were examd., N,N,N',N\\",N\\"-pentamethyldiethyltriamine (PMDETA), 4,4'-n-nonyl-2,2'-bipyridine, (dnNbpy,) and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde pentylimine (PCPimine) with a Br-functionalized initiator and CuCl catalyst. The dnNbpy ligand system provided very good control at a polymn. rate quite acceptable for obtaining high mol. wt. PMMA. The obsd. kinetics follows a linear variation with monomer concn. and suggests that termination is negligible. [on SciFinder (R)]