Synthetic approaches towards new polymer systems by the combination of living carbocationic and anionic polymerizations

This study summarizes recent efforts to obtain by combination of living carbocationic and anionic polymerizations block copolymers which are potential precursors for building new well-defined polymeric architectures with microphase separated morphology. Living carbocationic polymerization (LCCP) yields telechelic polyisobutylene (PIB) chains with a variety of useful endgroups, such as tert-chlorine, isopropenyl, primary hydroxyl, tolyl etc. When tolyl-ended PIB was used as precursor for macroinitiator of living anionic polymerization of 2-(tet-butyldimethylsilyloxy)ethyl methacrylate (tBuMe₂SiOEMA), mixtures of homopolymers and block copolymers were formed due to incomplete lithiation of this chain end. In another approach a new functionalization method was developed by end-quenching living PIB chains with 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE). In the presence of BCl₃ a new telechelic PIB with 2,2-diphenylvinyl (DPV) endgroups was formed. A corresponding DPV model compound was synthesized from 2-chloro-2,4,4-trimethylpentane (TMPCl). Because of steric hindrance less than quantitative lithiation of this material occurred. Controlled deprotection of PtBuMe₂SiOEMA obtained by living anionic polymerization (LAP) was utilized to prepare a precursor network composed of partially deprotected PtBuMe₂SiOEMA and hydroxyl-telechelic PIB by using a diisocyanate crosslinker. After network formation deprotection with HCl was completed and a new amphiphilic network (APN) containing PIB and poly(2-hydroxyethyl) methacrylate) (PHEMA) segments crosslinked by urethane linkages was obtained.