Synthesis and hydrolysis of poly(norbornene)/poly(acrylic acid) graft copolymers synthesized via a combination of atom-transfer radical polymerization and ring-opening metathesis polymerization

A synthetic strategy toward the rapid synthesis and hydrolysis of poly(norbornene)/Poly(acrylic acid) graft copolymers using the combination of atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), was discussed. The functional monomer design contains a polymerizable unit for ROMP, a side chain for ATRP initiation, and a linker between the side chain for ATRP initiation. The monomers were synthesized from 5-norbornene-2-carbonyl chloride through the condensation of either triethylene glycol monoethyl ether monomethyl ether. The results show that the combination of these two highly controlled polymerization methods allows for a modular approach toward the synthesis of graft copolymer.