Living Anionic Surface Initiated Polymerization (SIP) of Styrene from Clay Surfaces

Abstract

Anionic surface initiated polymerization (SIP) was investigated to improve the stabilities and grafting densities of polymers on clay. This is a challenge because of the difficulties with the anionic polymerization mechanism and the presence of adventitious H2O molecules in silicates and clay. Our results showed the living anionic polymerization was only possible with the 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE) initiator and a reaction protocol involving heating to 120 °C. The reaction serves to distinguish between surface and intergallery initiation.