The well-defined bootstrap effect in the macroinitiator-mediated pseudoliving radical copolymerization of styrene and acrylic acid

Abstract

The bootstrap effect is observed in the pseudoliving radical copolymerization of styrene and acrylic acid mediated by a macroinitiator: the adduct of poly(acrylic acid) with a nitroxide radical. In this case, the macroinitiator serves as a peculiar “microreactor” with an increased local concentration of acrylic acid; as a result, the apparent activity of acrylic acid is higher than that in copolymerization mediated by low-molecular-mass initiators.