Synthesis of well-defined long chain branched polyolefins

Abstract

Living free radical polymerization using alkoxyamine initiators produces polymers with narrow polydispersities. By polymerizing alkoxyamine monomers with polyolefins, macroinitiators can be synthesized, which can then be heated with vinyl monomers to produce grafts. This methodology was used to grow grafts of butadiene. The living mechanism allow control of the length of the graft. The double bonds in the butadiene grafts can be hydrogenated of produce a polyolefin graft.