A convenient one-pot method for the controlled synthesis of polystyrene-block -polycaprolactone (PS-b -PCL) copolymers by simultaneous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) processes is reported. The strategy involves the use of 2-(benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl)ethanol (1) for the dual roles of chain transfer agent (CTA) in the RAFT polymerization of styrene and co-initiator in the ROP of ε -caprolactone. One-pot poly merizations using the electrochemically stable ROP catalyst diphenyl phosphate (DPP) yield well-defi ned PS-b -PCL in a relatively short reaction time (≈4 h; M n = 9600−43 600 g mol −1 ; M w / M n = 1.21−1.57). Because the hydroxyl group is strategically located on the Z substituent of the CTA, segments of these diblock copolymers are connected through a trithiocarbonate group, thus offering an easy way for subsequent growth of a third segment between PS and PCL. In contrast, an oxidatively unstable Sn(Oct) 2 ROP catalyst reacts with (1) leading to multimodal distributions of polymer chains with variable composition.

In this work, we studied the thermal characterization of block copolymers based on e-caprolactone. The copolymers were obtained by anionic polymerization techniques, using different co-monomers such as styrene (S) and dimethylsiloxane (DMS). Synthesized copolymers were characterized by H-nuclear magnetic resonance, size exclusion chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Isothermal crystallization was performed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Avrami's theory was employed in order to obtain kinetics parameters of interest, such as the half-life for the crystallization process (t 1/2 ), the bulk crystallization constant (k), and the Avrami's exponent (n). The spherulitic growth was measured by polarized optical microscopy in order to determine the crystallization behavior. Poly(e-caprolactone) block (PCL) crystallization was analyzed by considering the physico-chemical characteristics of the neighboring block, PS or PDMS. The chemical nature of the neighbor block in the PCL-based copolymer affects the kinetics parameters of Avrami's equation, as can be deduced by comparing the values obtained for pure PCL and the studied block copolymers. On the other hand, the apparent thermal degradation activation energies E ad for PCL and block copolymers were determined by Ozawa's method. The incorporation of PDMS instead of PS improves the stability of the resulting copolymer, as it was observed by thermogravimetric analysis.

True model linear poly(styrene‐b‐dimethylsiloxane) PS‐b‐PDMS copolymers were synthesized by using sequential addition of monomers and anionic polymerization (high‐vacuum techniques), employing the most recent experimental procedures that allow the controlled polymerization of each monomer to obtain blocks with controlled molar masses. The model diblock copolymers obtained were analyzed by using different techniques, such as size‐exclusion chromatography, 1H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, small angle X‐rays scattering (SAXS), and wide angle X‐rays scattering (WAXS). The PS‐b‐PDMS copolymers obtained showed narrow molar mass distribution and variable PDMS content, ranging from 2 up to 55 wt %. Compacted powder samples were investigated by SAXS to reveal their structure and morphology changes on thermal treatment in the interval from 30 to 200 °C. The sample with the highest PDMS content exhibits a lamellar morphology, whereas two other samples show hexagonally packed cylinders of PDMS in a PS matrix. For the lowest PDMS content samples, the SAXS pattern corresponds to a disordered morphology and did not show any changes on thermal treatment. Detailed information about the morphology of scattering domains was obtained by fitting the SAXS scattering curves. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3119–3127, 2010

The controlled synthesis of poly(dimethylsiloxane) homopolymers (PDMS) using hexamethyl(cyclotrisiloxane) monomer (D 3 ), a mixture of ciclohexane/tetrahydrofuran 50/50 v/v and sec-Bu -Li þ as initiator was studied using different experimental conditions, and whole-sealed glass reactors according to standards procedures in high-vacuum anionic polymerization. It was observed that polydispersity indexes (PD) and conversions strongly depend on temperature and reaction times. For PDMS homopolymers with molar masses below 100,000 g/mol, high conversion ([90%) and PD \ 1.1 can be achieved at long reaction times (24 h) and mild temperature conditions (below or up to 30 C). On the other hand, to synthesize PDMS homopolymers with molar masses higher than 100,000 g/mol and PD \ 1.1 it is necessary to increase the temperature up to 50 C and decrease the reaction time (8 h). However, under these reaction conditions, it was observed that the conversion decreases (about 65-70% conversion is achieved). Apparently, the competition between propagation and secondary reactions (redistribution, backbiting, and reshuffling) depends on the molar masses desired. According to the results obtained in this study-which were compared with others found in the scientific literature-propagation is favored when M n \ 100,000 g/mol, whereas secondary reactions seem to become important for higher molar masses. Nevertheless, model PDMS homopolymers with high molar masses can still be obtained increasing the reaction temperature and shortening the total reaction time. It seems that the combined effect of these two facts favors propagation against secondary reactions, and provides model PDMS homopolymers with molar masses quite close to the expected ones. V V C 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4774-4783, 2009

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Ring-opening homo- and co-polymerization reactions of ϵ-caprolactone were performed by employing anionic polymerization (high vacuum techniques) and lithium silanolates (LS) as initiators. LS were obtained by reaction between hexamethyl(cyclotrisiloxane) and sec-Bu–Li+, or from living poly(dimethylsiloxanyl)lithium chains. The results indicated that LS are efficient initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of ϵ-caprolactone, providing the respective homogeneous polymers in good yields.