Organometallic-Mediated Alternating Radical Copolymerization of tert-Butyl-2-Trifluoromethacrylate with Vinyl Acetate and Synthesis of Block Copolymers Thereof.

Organometallic-mediated radical polymerization (OMRP) has given access to well-defined poly(vinyl acetate-alt-tert-butyl-2-trifluoromethacrylate)-b-poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(VAc-alt-MAF-TBE) copolymers composed of two electronically distinct monomers: vinyl acetate (VAc, donor, D) and tert-butyl-2-trifluoromethacrylate (MAF-TBE, acceptor, A), with low dispersity (≤1.24) and molar masses up to 57 000 g mol-1 . These copolymers have a precise 1:1 alternating structure over a wide range of comonomer feed compositions. The reactivity ratios are determined as rVAc = 0.01 ± 0.01 and rMAF-TBE = 0 at 40 °C. Remarkably, from a feed containing >50% molar VAc content, poly(VAc-alt-MAF-TBE)-b-PVAc block copolymers are produced via a one-pot synthesis. Such diblock copolymers exhibit two glass transition temperatures attributed to the alternating and homopolymer sequences. The OMRP of this fluorine-containing alternating monomer system may provide access to a wide range of new polymer materials.