Synthesis of poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol) containing block copolymers by combination of cobalt-mediated radical polymerization and ATRP

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) chains of a low polydispersity (M-w/M-n similar to 1.1-1.2) have been prepared by cobalt-mediated radical polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc). They have been end-capped by an activated bromide by addition of an alpha-bromoester or an alpha-bromoketone containing nitroxide and converted into effective macroinitiators for the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene (Sty), ethyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate. Because each block is formed by a controlled process, well-defined PVAc containing diblock copolymers are easily prepared. The PVAc-b-PS copolymers synthesized from alpha-bromoketone end-capped PVAc can be converted into well-defined poly(vinyl alcohol)-b-polystyrene amphiphiles by methanolysis of the poly(vinyl acetate) block. Self-association of an amphiphilic poly(vinyl alcohol)(3500)-b-polystyrene(16 600) in a (4/1) water/tetrahydrofuran mixture results in the formation of vesicles as observed by transmission electron microscopy.