| Abstract |
The combination of [Co-(II)\kappa N-2, O-NC4H3-C(H)=O\(2)(PMe3)(2)] (1) and tert-butyl-alpha-bromoisobutyrate (tBiB-Br) is a suitable initiation system for controlling the radical polymerization of styrene, by an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) mechanism, below 70 degrees C and of methyl methacrylate, by an organometallic mediated radical polymerization (OMRP)/catalytic chain transfer (CCT) interplay mechanism, below 50 degrees C. The pure ATRP nature of styrene polymerization allowed the synthesis of the polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer, as confirmed by GPC/SEC and DOSY NMR studies. Attempts to isolate a Co(III) species containing a Br atom (Co(III)-Br), supposedly a key ATRP deactivator, by reacting 1 and tBiB-Br quantitatively afforded the cationic Co(III) complex [Co-(III)\kappa N-2, O-NC4H3-C(H)=O\(2)(PMe3)(2)] Br (2). Metathetic exchange reactions of complex 2 with TlX gave rise to analogues of the type [Co-(III)\kappa N-2, O-NC4H3-C(H)=O\(2)(PMe3)(2)]X (3a, X = BF4-; 3b, X = BPh4-), containing non-coordinating anions. In the absence of a radical initiator, complex 2 mediated the formation of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate), with poor control, likely via a generation of activators by a monomer addition (GAMA) mechanism. Complexes 3a and 3b, however, have been shown to be completely inactive. Addition of 0.5 equivalents of AIBN to 2 drastically improved the molecular weight control in the polymerization of styrene, at 70 degrees C, through a reverse-ATRP mechanism. |
