One-Pot Modular Synthesis of Functionalized RAFT Agents Derived from a Single Thiolactone Precursor

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Organic Synthesis

Background:

• Reversible-addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization is a powerful technique for controlled polymer synthesis.
• Development of versatile chain transfer agents (CTAs) with tunable functionalities is crucial for advanced polymer architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward, one-pot method for preparing a diverse range of functionalized trithiocarbonates.
• To utilize these novel trithiocarbonates as effective RAFT CTAs for controlled polymerization.

Main Methods:

• A one-pot, three-step synthesis involving aminolysis of a thiolactone precursor.
• Application of synthesized trithiocarbonates as CTAs in RAFT polymerization of styrene, isobornyl acrylate, and N-isopropylacrylamide.
• Characterization of polymer end-groups using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of various functionalized trithiocarbonates.
• Demonstrated efficacy of these trithiocarbonates as RAFT CTAs, leading to controlled polymerization.
• Confirmation of desired end-group functionalities in the synthesized heterotelechic polymers.

Conclusions:

• The presented method offers a facile route to functionalized trithiocarbonates for RAFT polymerization.
• The synthesized CTAs enable the preparation of polymers with specific end-group functionalities.
• This work expands the toolkit for designing advanced polymer materials via RAFT.