POLY(STYRENE-B-2-VINYLPYRIDINE-1-OXIDE) AND POLY(DIMETHYLSILOXANE-B-2 VINYLPYRIDINE-1-OXIDE) DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS .1. PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

Sequential anionic polymerisation routes have been used to prepare AB diblock copolymers, where A is either polystyrene or polydimethylsiloxane, and B is poly(2-vinylpyridine-1-oxide). The latter block, which is water-soluble, was obtained from rhe oxidation of poly(2-vinylpyridine) using peroxyacetic acid (giving 100% yield). The resultant diblock copolymers were characterised by gel-permeation chromatography, proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gravimetric microanalysis to give relative block lengths and polydispersity indices. For both types of block copolymers M(w)BAR/M(n)BAR values < 1.25 could be readily obtained under carefully controlled conditions.