ABA triblock copolymers with a ring-opening metathesis polymerization/macromolecular chain-transfer agent approach

Linear Block Copolymer Synthesis

Block copolymers form the basis of the most ubiquitous materials such as thermoplastic elastomers, bridge interphases in polymer blends, and are fundamental for the development of high-performance materials. The driving force to further advance these materials is the accessibility of block copolymers, which have a wide variety in composition, functional group content, and precision of their structure. To advance and broaden the application of block copolymers will depend on the nature of combined segmented blocks, guided through the combination of polymerization techniques to reach a high versatility in block copolymer architecture and function. This review provides the most comprehensive overview of techniques to prepare linear block copolymers and is intended to serve as a guideline on how polymerization techniques can work together to result in desired block combinations. As the review will give an account of the relevant procedures and access areas, the sections will include orthogonal approaches or sequentially combined polymerization techniques, which increases the synthetic options for these materials.

Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymers Containing Polypropylene as the Middle Block

The synthesis of stereoregular telechelic polypropylene (PP) and their use to access triblock amphiphilic copolymers with the PP block located in the center is described. The strategy consists of selectively copolymerizing propylene and a di-functional co-monomer (1,3-diisopropenylbenzene) to yield a α,ω-substituted polypropylene. Initiation of the copolymerization favors insertion of DIB over propylene; propagation steps favor insertion of propylene. Termination via a chain-transfer reaction yields the terminal unsaturation of the polymer. The telechelic polypropylene is then converted into α,ω-hydroxyl-terminated polypropylene and used as a macroinitiator for the synthesis of triblock copolymers. Water-soluble amphiphilic triblock polymers are also synthesized. The use of catalytic reactions simultaneously provides the stereocontrol of the polypropylene and high productivity (multiple chains of block copolymer per metal center).

Sequential ROMP of cyclooctenes as a route to linear polyethylene block copolymers

AB diblock copolymers were prepared by sequential ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclooctenes catalyzed by a Ru-based Grubbs catalyst. The relatively slow polymerization of cis-3-phenylcyclooct-1-ene (3PC) or cis-cyclooct-2-en-1-yl acetate (3AC) was first carried out and then followed by the faster polymerization of unsubstituted cis-cyclooctene (COE) from the active Ru-alkylidene chain ends. In contrast, simultaneous polymerization of the two monomers provides copolymers with a statistical monomer distribution owing to extensive chain transfer. The resulting poly(3PC-b-COE) and poly(3AC-b-COE) diblock copolymers were subjected to hydrogenation to selectively saturate the backbone alkenes. The consequences of architectural variance between the materials from simultaneous vs. sequential polymerizations are reflected by the contrasting thermal characteristics.