Graft copolymers from commercial chlorinated polypropylene via Cu(0)‐mediated atom transfer radical polymerization

Commercially available chlorinated polypropylene has been used as a macroinitiator for the Cu(0)‐mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and tert ‐butyl acrylate to obtain well‐defined graft copolymers. The relatively narrow molecular weight distribution in the graft copolymers and linear kinetic plots indicated the controlled nature of the copolymerization reactions. Both Fourier transform infrared and 1 H NMR studies confirmed that the graft reactions had taken place successfully. After graft copolymer formation, tert ‐butyl groups of poly( tert ‐butyl acrylate) side chains were completely converted into poly(acrylic acid) chains to afford corresponding amphiphilic graft copolymers.