Preparation of soluble, linear titanium-containing copolymers by the free-radical copolymerization of vinyl titanate monomers with styrene

Linear, soluble copolymers containing titanium are of interest; for use in targets for inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) experiments because the titan ium is a useful spectroscopic probe for studying the nuclear fusion process . Some suitable copolymers have been prepared from vinyl titanate monomers and styrene via free-radical polymerization. Soluble copolymers with molecu lar weights between 70,000 and 100,000 daltons containing 0.1 atom % titani um can be reliably prepared. These copolymers have been incorporated into t argets used in inertial-confinement fusion experiments at Lawrence Livermor e National Laboratory. Attempts to prepare identical copolymers using macro molecular modification were unsuccessful and yielded insoluble materials up on reaction of the functionalized copolymers with titanium(IV) isopropoxide . (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.