Block Copolymer PEO-b-PHPMA Synthesis Using Controlled Radical Polymerization on a Chip

Published

May 2, 2005

Author(s)

Tao Wu, Ying Mei, Chang Xu, Kathryn L. Beers

Abstract

Block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide b 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PHPMA) with a range of molecular weights of the second block PHPMA were obtained via controlled radical polymerization on a chip (CRP chip) using PEO macroinitiator as one of three input sources. A series of well-controlled polymerizations were carried out at different pumping rates or reaction times with constant ratio of monomer to initiator. Stoichiometry of reactants was also adjusted by varying the relative flow rate of each input to change reactant concentrations for a series of polymerizations. During both series of experiments, there was quantitative initiation evidenced by the disappearance of macroinitiator peak in SEC traces of polymer products and symmetrical block copolymer peaks. All polymer products show symmetrical monomodal traces and relatively low polydispersities. Results suggest that the CRP chip is an easy and convenient tool for block copolymer architecture design and library synthesis.

Citation

Macromolecular Rapid Communications

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

block copolymers, controlled polymerization, kinetics, lab on a chip, microfluidics

Citation

Wu, T. , Mei, Y. , Xu, C. and Beers, K. (2005), Block Copolymer PEO-b-PHPMA Synthesis Using Controlled Radical Polymerization on a Chip, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852495 (Accessed October 9, 2025)