Diblock dialternating terpolymers by one-step/one-pot highly selective organocatalytic multimonomer polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Organic Synthesis
• Materials Science

Background:

• One-pot/one-step synthesis of block copolymers is industrially desirable.
• Controlled alternating sequences enhance polymer structural diversity but increase synthetic complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a "one-pot/one-step" method for synthesizing perfect diblock dialternating terpolymers.
• To achieve high control over molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions.

Main Methods:

• Ring-opening terpolymerization of N-sulfonyl aziridines, cyclic anhydrides, and epoxides.
• Utilized tert-butylimino-tris(dimethylamino)phosphorene (t-BuP1) as an organocatalyst.
• Employed NMR, in-situ FTIR, SEC, and MALDI-ToF for characterization and mechanistic studies.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized perfect diblock dialternating terpolymers with sharp block junctions.
• Achieved highly controllable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (Đ < 1.08).
• Demonstrated catalyst's ability to switch between polymerization cycles with high monomer selectivity and kinetic control.

Conclusions:

• The developed organocatalyzed terpolymerization offers an efficient route to complex polymer architectures.
• This method provides a versatile platform for creating novel polymeric materials with tailored properties.