Carboxy‐terminated homo‐ and copolymers of styrene using dicarboxylic acid‐functional azo initiator and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidyloxyl (TEMPO)

Abstract

Abstract Carboxy‐terminated polystyrene, poly(styrene‐ co ‐acrylonitrile), and polystyrene‐ block ‐poly(styrene‐ co ‐acrylonitrile) with ratios of weight‐ to number‐average molar masses M̄ w / M̄ n below 1.3 were synthesized via a controlled radical polymerization mechanism. The polymerizations were initiated with 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentane‐carboxylic acid) and 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidyloxyl radical and conducted in bulk at elevated temperatures. The polymerization was monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance, size‐exclusion chromatography, end‐group titration and differential scanning calorimetry.