Synthesis of Graft Copolymers from a Linear Polyolefin Through a Combination of Coordination Polymerization and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

This article reports on a facile route for the preparation of methyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate graft copolymers via a combination of catalytic olefin copolymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The chemistry first involved a transforming process from ethylene/allylbenzene copolymers to a polyolefin multifunctional macroinitiator with pendant sulfonyl chloride groups. The key to the success of the graft copolymerization was ascribed to a fast exchange rate between the dormant species and active radical species by optimization of the various experimental parameters. Polyolefin-g-poly(methyl methacrylate) and polyolefin-g-poly(methyl acrylate) graft copolymers with controlled architecture and various graft lengths were, thus, successfully prepared under dilute ATRP conditions. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 117: 450-457, 201