Substituted Tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine Ligands for Highly Active ATRP Catalysts.

The synthesis and application of a very active catalyst for copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP) with tris([(4-methoxy-2,5-dimethyl)-2-pyridyl] methyl)amine (TPMA*) ligand is reported. Catalysts with TPMA* ligands are approximately 3 orders of magnitude more active than those with tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA). Catalyst activity was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, stopped-flow, and ATRP kinetics. Catalysts with TPMA* ligands perform better than those with TPMA ligands, especially at low catalyst concentrations.