Abstract
Fluorene end-labeled polystyrene was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization with 9-bromofluorene as the initiator. Reactions were carried out in bulk or tetrahydrofuran solutions at temperatures of 80°C or above. Analysis by gel permeation chromatography indicated that the polymers formed had low polydispersities with molecular weights consistently 2-5 times higher than calculated based on monomer-to-initiator ratios. Coupling of two fluorenyl radicals, formed by activation of the 9-bromofluorene, was found to compete with initiation, leading to the higher-than-expected molecular weight values while giving rise to a fluorene dimer. UV-vis spectrometry indicated near-quantitative fluorene labeling of the polystyrene.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2657-2665 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 15 2005 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Polymers and Plastics
- Organic Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry