Reverse atom transfer radical emulsion polymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate catalyzed by iron complexes

Abstract

Reverse atom transfer radical copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate was successfully carried out in an emulsion system using ferric chloride (FeCl3·6H2O)/ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid as a catalytic system. The effects of surfactant types and initiators, the concentration of initiator, and the catalytic system were investigated, respectively. Emulsion was obtained at 80°C under the condition of [monomers]0/[initiator]0/ [catalyst]0/[ligand]0= 200/1/4/2, monomers/water = 15:100 (w/w), and the emulsifier was 2 wt% versus water. Finally, copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. Controlled copolymerization was confirmed by the linear correlations between molecular weights and monomer conversion, and the relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn ≤ 1.5). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.