SYNTHESIS OF POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE-GRAFT-ISOBUTYLENE) COPOLYMERS BY THE COMBINATION OF LIVING CARBOCATIONIC AND GROUP-TRANSFER POLYMERIZATION

The synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate-graft-isobutylene), p(MMA-g- IB) copolymers was accomplished by group transfer copolymerization (GT P) of MMA and polyisobutenyl methacrylate (PIBMA). The PIBMA macromer was obtained by living carbocationic polymerization (LC(+)P) of IB usi ng a novel functional initiator 3,3,5-trimethyl-5-chloro-1-hexyl metha crylate. Well-defined macromers with perfect functionalities were obta ined in the molecular weight range of 2000 to 50,000. The PIBMA macrom ers were copolymerized with MMA using GTP. The structure and the prope rties of the resulting p(MMA-g-IB) copolymers were determined by the [ MMA]/[I] and [MMA]/[PIBMA] ratios. The homopolymerization of the macro mer resulted in a mixture of dimers and unreacted macromer.