FREE-RADICAL TELOMERIZATION OF TERT-BUTYL ACRYLATE IN THE PRESENCE OFBIS(4-AMINOPHENYL) DISULFIDE AS A USEFUL ROUTE TO AMINO-TERMINATED TELOMERS OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID)

In this paper, we report the synthesis of telomers of tert-butyl acryl ate (tBA) and of acrylic acid using bis(4-aminophenyl) disulfide as '' iniferter'' (initiator-transfer-terminator). Polymers with molecular w eights of (20-50) x 10(3) (tBA) and polydispersities of almost-equal-t o 2 were formed. We found that bis(4-aminophenyl) disulfide provided s ignificant control over the polymerization of tBA, which also allowing for the formation of alpha,omega-diamino-functionalized poly(tBA). Th e molecular weight distributions of the isolated polymers were insensi tive to changes in temperature between 50 and 90-degrees-C. Telomers o f tBA could be hydrolyzed quantitatively to telomers of acrylic acid u sing p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst in a solution of acetic acid and water.