Hemicellulose-based multifunctional macroinitiator for single-electron-transfer mediated living radical...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Macromolecular Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Living radical polymerization (LRP) enables precise control over polymer architecture.
• Single-electron-transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) offers a versatile platform for controlled polymer synthesis.
• Developing novel macroinitiators from renewable resources is crucial for sustainable polymer chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a multifunctional macroinitiator based on acetylated galactoglucomannan (AcGGM).
• To investigate the application of this macroinitiator in SET-LRP of methyl acrylate.
• To characterize the resulting hybrid copolymers and confirm the living nature of the polymerization.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of AcGGM with α-bromoisobutyric acid to create the macroinitiator.
• Execution of SET-LRP using Cu(0)/Me(6)-TREN catalyst system in various solvents (DMSO, DMF, DMSO/H2O).
• Kinetic analysis and molecular weight determination of the synthesized polymers.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of an AcGGM-based macroinitiator with a degree of substitution of 0.15.
• Achieved high monomer conversions (up to 99.98%) in methyl acrylate polymerization.
• Demonstrated the living characteristics of the SET-LRP process, yielding high molecular weight hemicelluloses/methyl acrylate hybrid copolymers.

Conclusions:

• The developed AcGGM-based macroinitiator is effective for SET-LRP.
• The polymerization process exhibits living characteristics, allowing for controlled synthesis of hybrid copolymers.
• The resulting brush-like hybrid copolymers hold potential for advanced material applications.