FREE-RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF MACROMONOMERS

Vinylbenzyl-terminated polystyrene (PS) macromonomers with various molecular weights were prepared by the direct reaction of living anion ends with p-chloromethylstyrene (CMS). The values of propagation fate constants (k(p)) were obtained from free radical polymerizations of PS macromonomers in benzene at 40 degrees C in the presence of 1-buten-3-ol as a degradative chain transfer agent by using gel permeation chromatography(GPC) analysis. The polymer radicals were terminated by a unimolecular mechanism. We studied the propagation step of PS macromonomers from the point of view of molecular weight dependences on the k(p).