Controlled Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate with Porphinatocobalt(II) Catalysts in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Abstract

We report the successful controlled polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of the catalytic chain transfer agents 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphinatocobalt(II) and 5,10,15,20-tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porphinatocobalt(II) (CoTFPP) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Low molecular weight polymers with narrow polydispersities have been prepared both at low and high monomer conversion and the chain transfer constant is found to be 1.3 × 103, which is comparable to the value obtained in traditional solvents.