Synthesis of telechelic C₆₀ end‐capped polymers under microwave irradiation

Abstract

Abstract Bromo‐Double‐Terminated polystyrene (Br‐PSt‐Br) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (Br‐PMMA‐Br) with predesigned molecular weight and narrow polydispersity were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using the initiating system aa′‐dibromo‐ p ‐xylene(DBX) / CuBr/2,2′‐bipyridine(bipy). The precursor bromo‐terminated polymers were subsequently functionalized with fullerene C 60 using CuBr/bipy as the catalyst system under microwave irradiation (MI). The telechelic C 60 end‐capped products were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV‐vis, FT‐IR, TGA, DSC, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR. The results showed that microwave irradiation could significantly increase the rate of fullerenation reaction, and the physical properties and structure of the C 60 end‐capped polymers are not modified by the use of the microwave. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 828–834, 2006