Crown Ether Cavity-Containing Copolymers via Controlled Alternating Cyclocopolymerization

Abstract

The cyclocopolymerization of difunctional styrenic flexible monomers with maleic anhydride via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) has been investigated. The reaction proceeded to yield gel-free copolymers soluble in organic solvents. The kinetic study indicated that the cyclocopolymerization of difunctional styrenic flexible monomer with maleic anhydride proceeded in a controlled manner. The structures of resulting crown ether cavity-containing copolymers were characterized by the use of NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The crown ether cavities in copolymers exhibited a selective recognition for certain dialkylammonium ions.