End-capped polymer chains and products thereof

US7417092B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• University of Massachusetts Lowell · US

Inventors

• Rudolf Faust · Lexington, US
• Axel Mueller · Wiesbaden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 18, 2004
• Grant date: Aug 26, 2008
• Expiry date: Jun 18, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C08F2810/40
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Methods are described herein for converting carbocationically terminated polymers to anionically terminated polymers. These methods comprise: (a) providing a carbocationically terminated polymeric moiety; (b) reacting the carbocationically terminated polymeric moiety with a heterocyclic compound of the formulawhere —X— is selected from —S—, —O—, —NH— and —NR—, and where R is an alkyl group or an aryl group, thereby providing an end-capped polymeric moiety; and (c) reacting the end-capped polymeric moiety with an organolithium compound to yield an anionically terminated polymeric moiety. Also described are block copolymers in which a first polymer block comprising cationically polymerized monomers is linked to a second polymer block comprising anionically polymerized monomers by agroup, as well as a polymer in which a polymer block comprising cationically polymerized monomers is linked to a halogenated silane residue or a carbosilane residue by agroup.