Cationic polymerization of p-methylstyrene (pMeSt) was examined using various metal chlorides as Lewis acid catalysts in dichloromethane. All of the catalysts used produced poly(pMeSt)s in the presence of 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine (DTBP). However, the polymerization behavior differed depending on the type of metal chloride. The polymerization reactions conducted using SnCl 4 and ZnCl 2 proceeded in a controlled manner and yielded well-defined polymers, whereas metal trichlorides (for example, AlCl 3 , FeCl 3 and GaCl 3 ) induced uncontrolled polymerization. In addition, the combination of SnCl 4 and DTBP allowed the controlled polymerization of styrene (St) and p-chlorostyrene (pClSt). Moreover, this initiating system was efficient for the synthesis of star-shaped poly(pMeSt)s via the arm-first method through the addition of an alkylstyrene-type divinyl compound used as a cross-linking agent.
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