ABSTRACT
Amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomers such as 1-3 homopolymerize very rapidly, via micellar organization, in water to afford regular comb polymers. Poly(macromonomer)s obtained exhibit either star-like or bottlebrush conformation depending on the relative size of backbone to arm. Micellar copolymerization between PEO macromonomers apparently enhanced the incorporation of those with a more hydrophobic polymerizing end-group. Micellar copolymerization of solubilized styrene with 1 (1/1 mol/mol) afforded an apparently unimolecular, highly branched graft copolymer of ca 30 nm size with MW of ca 107. Emulsion (in water) and dispersion copolymerization (in methanol/water mixture of 9/1 v/v) of styrene with 1 afforded nearly monodisperse polymeric microspheres of submicron to micron size.
