Abstract

Synthesis through ATRP and Characterization of hydrophobic polystyrene-block-polyethylene glycol-block-polystyrene tri-block copolymer: A simple laboratory approach

Author(s): Rakesh Sharma

Simple laboratory synthesis of poly (styrene)-block-poly (ethylene glycol)- block-poly(styrene) (PS-PEG-PS) tri-block copolymer (TBC) using versatile atomtransfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique is reported. Chloroand Bromo-PEGmacroinitiators were synthesized by the transformation of the end group of PEG through 2-chloro or bromo propionyl chloride which was subsequently used in the preparation of symmetrical TBC of PS-PEGPS under ATRP conditions using styrene as monomers. The PEGmacroinitiators and synthesized TBC were characterized by FT-IR and 1HNMR spectroscopy. The average molecular weight and molecular weight distributions of the TBCwere obtained usingGPCanalysis. The experimental results showed that the polymerization was controlled/living with the PDI=1.4. The thermal behaviour and compositional properties of the TBC were studied using TGA.