Living Radical Polymerization of Methylmethacrylate, Methylacrylate and Their Block Copolymers with Acrylonitrile by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Free radical polymerization with reversible termination has recently generated the longest waiting entry into the field of living andlor controlled polymer-ization reactions. These methods are known as living radical polymerization and it is found that they proceed in easy conditions and result in narrow poly-dispersities. Thus, the possibility of living radical polymerization of methyl-methacrylate, methylacrylate and their block copolymers with acrylonitrile by atom transfer and with Cr(OAc)2 initiators have been studied. As a conse-quence, we have synthesized homopolymers with high molecular weights, low polydispersities up to 1.26. Homopolymers and copolymers obtained are characterized with FTIR and GPC. Key Words: atom transfer polymerization, living radical polymerzation, acrylates, methacrylates, block copolymer