Hybrid hyperbranched polymer based on polystyrene and tris(pentafluorophenyl)germane

It was shown that hybrid macromolecules may be synthesized from a linear fl exible-chain polymer, polystyrene, and a hyperbranched rigid-chain polymer, perfluorinated poly (phenylenegermane). At the first stage of synthesis, a (C6F5)(3)Ge group was introduced into a polystyrene macromolecule via the chain-transfer reaction. The relative rate constant of chain transfer to tr is(pentafluorophenyl)germane in the free-radical polymerization of styrene was found to be 3.4. Upon subsequent activated copolycondensation with tris (pentafluorophenyl)germane, the first generation of dendritic hyperbranched poly(phenylenegermane) formed at the end of a polystyrene macromolecule. T he reaction product was characterized by gel chromatography, IR spectroscop y, and scanning probe microscopy. It was demonstrated that a hybrid macromo lecule contains on average 89 wt % polystyrene and 11 wt % perfluorogermane units and that its M-n = 26300.