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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst
Published on: April 22, 2016
ATRP from an amino acid-based initiator: A facile approach for α-functionalized polymers
Shrinivas Venkataraman1, Karen L Wooley
1Center for Materials Innovation and Department of Chemistry, Washington University in Saint Louis, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1134, Saint Louis, MO 63130.
Abstract:
A L-valine-derived α-haloamide was synthesized and investigated as an initiator for the atom transfer radical polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate using commercially available CuBr, CuBr(2) and N,N,N',N",N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as the catalyst and ligand system. Kinetic studies and extension to a diblock copolymer with styrene, each indicated that the polymerizations were well controlled. Poly(tert-butyl acrylate) having M(n) (NMR) = 8.6 kDa, M(n) (GPC) = 8.3 kDa, PDI = 1.11 and a diblock of poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-polystyrene having M(n) (NMR) = 20.2 kDa, M(n) (GPC) = 22.5 kDa, PDI = 1.22 were prepared by the sequential polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate and styrene at 55 °C and 90 °C, respectively.
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