Expanding the supramolecular polymer LEGO system : nitroxide-mediated living free-radical polymerization as a tool for mono- and telechelic polystyrenes

Nitroxide-mediated, controlled living radical polymn. was employed to introduce terpyridine ligands at one or two chain ends of polystyrene. For this purpose, a unimol. initiator bearing both a terpyridine ligand and a mediating nitroxide was synthesized and used for the controlled polymn. of styrene. Moreover, a maleimide-functionalized terpyridine was prepd. to synthesize telechelic polymers, utilizing nitroxide substitution reactions. Kinetic studies of the polymn. of styrene were carried out. In all polymns., special attention was focused on the retention of end-group functionality, in light of the effects of auto-initiation and auto-polymn. [on SciFinder (R)