Poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline) containing multiphase systems

Abstract

This research is focused on the polymerization of 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline homopolymers and 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline containing copolymers with well-defined structures. In addition, the potential of selected materials as polymer blend compatibilizers was briefly evaluated. The polymerization of 2-alkyl-2-oxazoline was investigated with regard to the effects of initiator structures on molecular weight control and molecular weight distribution, living characteristics, and mechanisms and kinetics. The structure of initiators was shown to greatly affect the molecular weight control and molecular weight distribution of poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline). The living nature of poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) in chlorobenzene initiated by benzyl iodide, benzyl chloride/NaI, or chloroethyl ethyl ether/NaI has been established by Mn-conversion plots and sequential monomer addition experiments. However, the molecular weight distributions of these polymers were not as narrow as Poisson distributions, Mechanistic and kinetic studies of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline polymerizations suggested that, at very early stages of polymerization, the active species is covalent.