TRANSFORMATION OF LIVING CARBOCATIONIC AND OTHER POLYMERIZATIONS TO CONTROLLED LIVING RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

Transformation of ''living'' carbocationic polymerization of styrene a nd isobutene to controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is described and formation of the corresponding AB and ABA block copo lymers with styrene (St), methyl methacrylate (MMA, methyl acrylate (M A) and isobornyl acrylate (IBA) was demonstrated. A similar approach w as applied to the cationic ring opening polymerization of tetrahydrofu ran leading to the AB and ABA block copolymers with St, MMA and MA usi ng ATRP. Site transformation approach was also used for the ring openi ng metathesis polymerization of norbornene and polycondensation system s using polysulfone as an example. In both cases, AB and ABA block cop olymers were efficiently formed with styrene and acrylates.