SYNTHESIS OF WELL-DEFINED POLYSTYRENE WITH MULTIFUNCTIONAL END-GROUPSUTILIZING CYCLOTRIPHOSPHAZENE

Telechelic polystyrenes with five benzyl chloride moieties at the poly mer end (PSt-E) were prepared by coupling reaction of polystyryllithiu m with hexakis(4-chloromethylphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (4). The coup ling reaction occurs almost quantitatively and unfavorable side reacti ons were not operative. When a mole ratio [4]/[sec-BuLi]=9.3 was used, polystyrenes with cyclophosphazene carrying five benzyl chloride moie ties at the polymer end (PSt-E) were obtained in more than 90% yield, which have narrow and predictable molecular weights (<(M)over bar (w)> /<(M)over bar (n)>=1.05). A star shaped polystyrene with phosphazene c ore could also be prepared by using excess polystyryl anions.