Synthesis of arborescent polystyrene by “click” grafting

ABSTRACT A method was developed for the synthesis of arborescent polystyrene by “click” coupling. Acetylene functionalities were introduced on linear polystyrene (Mn = 5300 g/mol, Mw/Mn = 1.05) by acetylation and reaction with potassium hydroxide, 18‐crown‐6 and propargyl bromide in toluene. Polymerization of styrene with 6‐tert‐butyldimethylsiloxyhexyllithium yielded polystyrene (Mn = 5200 g/mol, Mw/Mn = 1.09) with a protected hydroxyl chain end. Deprotection, followed by conversions to tosyl and azide functionalities, provided the side chain material. Coupling with CuBr and N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine proceeded in up to 94% yield. Repetition of the grafting cycles led to well‐defined (Mw/Mn ≤ 1.1) polymers of generations G1 and G2 in 84% and 60% yield, respectively, with Mn and branching functionalities reaching 2.8 × 106 g/mol and 460, respectively, for the G2 polymer. Coupling longer (Mn = 45,000 g/mol) side chains with acetylene‐functionalized substrates was also examined. For a linear substrate, a G0 polymer with Mn = 4.6 × 105 g/mol and Mw/Mn = 1.10 was obtained in 87% yield; coupling with the G0 (Mn = 52,000 g/mol) substrate produced a G1 polymer (Mn = 1.4×106 g/mol, Mw/Mn = 1.38) in 28% yield. The complementary approach using azide‐functionalized substrates and acetylene‐terminated side chains was also investigated, but proceeded in lower yield. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1730–1740 The synthesis of arborescent (dendrigraft) polystyrene was achieved through successive cycles of substrate functionalization with alkyne groups and “click” coupling with azide‐terminated side chains. The reactions proceeded in high yield (94–60%, respectively, for G0–G2 polymers with Mn ≈ 5000 g/mol side chains). In contrast to previously reported grafting schemes, these reactions do not depend on the generation of living polymers for every grafting cycle, and the substrate and side chain components can be stored for extended time periods before use.