Synthesis of Photoreactive Block Copolymers Based on 1-Iminopyridinium Ylides

Abstract

Two photoreactive pyridinium ylide containing monomers, {[2-(metacryloyloxy)ethoxy]carbonyl}(pyridinium-1-yl)azanide (M1) and pyridinium-1-yl-(4-vinylbenzoyl)azanide (M2), were synthesized. Both monomers were polymerized under controlled radical polymerization conditions, i.e. reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (M1 and M2) and nitroxide-mediated polymerization (M2). Further block copolymers PMMA-b-PM1 and PS-b-PM2 were successfully synthesized and their molecular weight, Mn, and block ratio could be determined by 1H NMR analysis, thereby opening the synthetic possibilities of photoreactive ylides in block copolymer syntheses.