NEW MACROMOLECULAR SILANE COUPLING AGENTS SYNTHESIZED BY LIVING ANIONIC-POLYMERIZATION - GRAFTING OF THESE POLYMERS ONTO INORGANIC PARTICLES AND METALS

New macromolecular silane coupling agents, which are end-triethoxysily lated poly(styrene) and poly(tert-butylmethacrylate), were investigate d as possible inorganic particle and metal surface treatment agents. T hese polymers containing poly(styrene) and poly(tert-butylmethacrylate ) as the main chain, were prepared by living anionic polymerization. G rafting of the polymers onto inorganic particles and metals was perfor med via the hydrolysis of the triethoxysilyl group using either acidic or basic catalyst. n-Butylphosphate was used as the catalyst for graf ting onto inorganic substances having an acidic surface such as silica . However, in the case of grafting onto inorganic substances having a basic surface, tetrabutylammoniumhydroxide was employed as the catalys t. Contrary to expectations, grafting onto titania was successful even in the absence of a catalyst. Particles grafted with these polymers s howed excellent dispersibility in organic medium, in which the polymer s are soluble. This phenomenon is in contrast to that for particles tr eated with polymers possessing triethoxysilyl groups at random positio ns of the chain or those treated with trimethylsilyl groups. Surface t ension measurements of metal substrates coated with the grafted polyme rs, were found to be identical to the values obtained for the bulk pol ymers.