Synthesis of multi-arm star polystyrene with hyperbranched polyester initiators by atom transfer radical polymerization

Abstract

Multi-arm star polystyrenes with hyper-branched polyester (HP3) core were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The structures of the polymers were investigated with FTIR and 1H NMR. GPC results showed that the resultant polymers had relatively broad polydispersity indices that arouse from the macromolecular initiator (HP3-Br). The thermal properties were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). DSC analysis indicated that polystyrene star polymers had only the glass transition temperatures (Tg), which changes with the weight ratio of multifunctional macroinitiator-to-monomer. In addition, these star polymers could form the spherical micelles in the selected solvent (THF/n-hexane). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.