Synthesis of AB and ABA type block copolymers of vinyl chloride using iniferter technique

Abstract

The photopolymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) with benzyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate (BDC) or p-xylylene bis(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate) (XDC) was carried out in 1,2-dichloroethane at 30 °C. From the 1H NMR spectra, these poly(vinyl chloride)s (PVC) were found to contain mono- or di-functional polymers which can be used for synthesizing the AB type or ABA type block copolymers, respectively. The photocopolymerization of the mono-functional PVC with styrene (St) or vinyl acetate (VAc) was carried out in cyclohexanone at 30 °C. The obtained copolymers were the AB type block copolymers of VC with St or VAc. The photocopolymerization of the di-functional PVC with St in cyclohexanone at 30 °C gave an ABA type block copolymer of VC and St.