Main Chain–Type Block Copolymers through Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization from Double-Decker–Shaped Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Hybrids.

Chen, Wei-Cheng; Tsao, Yu-Hsuan; Wang, Chih-Feng; Huang, Chih-Feng; Dai, Lizong; Chen, Tao; Kuo, Shiao-Wei

In this study, we synthesized two main chain–type block copolymers featuring hydrogen bond donor and acceptor segments through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using a bifunctionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticle as the initiator. Hydrosilylation of vinylbenzyl chloride at the two corners of a double-decker silsesquioxane (DDSQ) provided the bifunctionalized benzyl chloride initiator VBC-DDSQ-VBC, which we applied as a platform to prepare a main chain–type polystyrene homopolymer (PS-DDSQ-PS), the diblock copolymer poly(styrene–b–4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP-b-PS-DDSQ-PS-b-P4VP), and the diblock copolymer poly(styrene–b–tert-butoxystyrene) (PtBuOS-b-PS-DDSQ-PS-b-PtBuOS) through sequential ATRP. Selective hydrolysis of the tert-butoxyl units of PtBuOS-b-PS-DDSQ-PS-b-PtBuOS yielded the strongly hydrogen bonding diblock copolymer poly (styrene-b-vinylphenol) (PVPh-b-PS-DDSQ-PS-b-PVPh). We used Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, mass-analyzed laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy to investigate the chemical structures, thermal behavior, and self-assembled nanostructures formed by these main chain–type block copolymers based on DDSQ.

DESORPTION ionization mass spectrometry; BLOCK copolymers; DIBLOCK copolymers; NUCLEAR magnetic resonance spectroscopy; GEL permeation chromatography; BENZYL chloride; POLYMERIZATION

Polymers (20734360), 2020, Vol 12, Issue 2, p465

2073-4360

Academic Journal

10.3390/polym12020465