GRAFTING REACTIONS ONTO POLYMER BACKBONE WITH POLYMERIC INITIATOR

Polymer-polymer free radical coupling reactions are reported.Active vinyl polymers having peroxide groups can be obtained by using oligo peroxide or/and azo initiators in the vinyl polymerization. By heating the mixture of polybutadiene, PBd, and active vinyl polymers (polystyrene, PS, and polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA) having peroxide groups, or macro azo initiators based on poly(ethylene glycol), PEG; PS-g-PBd, PMMA-g-PBd, and PEG-g-PBd graft copolymers were obtained. A natural, biodegradable polyester, poly(beta-hydroxy nonanoate), PHN, was also reacted with active polymers to obtaine PS-g-PHN and PMMA-g-PHN graft copolymers. Characterization of graft copolymers and very recent surface grafting reactions have been discussed.