LIVING CARBOCATIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF PARA-HALOSTYRENES .2. SYNTHESIS OF POLY(PARA-CHLOROSTYRENE)-B-POLYTETRAHYDROFURAN

The total synthesis of diblock copolymers comprising poly(p-chlorostyrene) (PpClSt) and polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) segments have been accomplished. The syntheses involved the living polymerization of p-chlorostyrene (pClSt) by the 2-chloro-2,4,4-trimethylpentane/TiCl4 initiating system followed by the blocking of tetrahydrofuran (THF) from the sec-benzylic chlorine end-group of PpClSt in the presence of AgPF6 in THF at room temperature and quenching with methanol:[Figure not available: see fulltext.] A series of PpCISt-b-PTHF diblocks have been prepared. Themolecular weight of the PTHF segments increased with reactiontime. The blocking efficiency (Beff) calculated by1H NMRspectroscopy was nearly 100%. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.