Micellar behavior of well‐defined polystyrene‐based block copolymers with triethoxysilyl reactive groups and their hydrolysis–condensation

Abstract

Abstract Block copolymers of acryloxy propyl triethoxysilane and styrene were prepared through nitroxide‐mediated polymerization using alkoxyamine initiators based on N ‐ tert ‐butyl‐1‐diethylphosphono‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl nitroxide. The copolymers were characterized by 1 H NMR, size exclusion chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. Their micellar behavior in dioxane/methanol solutions was examined through static light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM indicated the successful formation of spherical micelles which were subsequently frozen by the sol–gel process. Hydrolysis–condensation of the reactive ethoxysilyl side groups was followed by FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 29 Si NMR. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 784–793, 2010