B(C6F5)3-Catalyzed Group Transfer Polymerization of n-Butyl Acrylate with Hydrosilane through In Situ Formation of Initiator by 1,4-Hydrosilylation of n-Butyl Acrylate

The group transfer polymerization (GTP) of n -butyl acrylate ( n BA) using hydrosilane (R 3 SiH) and tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ) has been studied, which did not need to use the initiator of a silyl ketene acetal (SKA) as the starting polymerization component. B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 catalyzed the in situ 1,4-hydrosilylation of n BA by R 3 SiH to generate the corresponding SKA prior to the polymerization of n BA, which was confirmed by the 1 H NMR measurement of the model reaction. The formed SKA performed as the initiator for the B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 -catalyzed GTP of n BA leading to well-defined polymers with targeted molar masses and low dispersities.