Star-shaped nanomicelles of polyisobutylene-polystyrene diblock copolymers. New stabilizer for living dispersion polymerization of styrene

Formation of star-shaped nanomicelles of polyisobutylene-polystyrene (PIB-P S) diblock copolymers in hexane solution is reported. The length of the pol ystyrene segments were varied in the M-n range of 4000-13000 g/mol at appro ximately constant polyisobutylene segments length. The size and the size di stribution of the nanomicelles were investigated by dynamic light scatterin g. Based on static light scattering measurements the mass-average molecular mass of the micelles and the number of arms were also determined. The synt hesized diblock-copolymers were demonstrated to be capable of stabilizing t he growing particles which were formed in the living anionic dispersion pol ymerization of styrene in hexane.