A Potential New RAFT - Click Reaction or a Cautionary Note on the Use of Diazomethane to Methylate RAFT-synthesized Polymers

Abstract

It has been found that diazomethane undergoes a facile 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition with both dithiobenzoate RAFT agents and the dithiobenzoate end‐groups of polymers formed by RAFT polymerization. Thus, 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate on treatment with diazomethane at room temperature provided a mixture of stereoisomeric 1,3‐dithiolanes in near quantitative (>95%) yield. A low‐molecular‐weight RAFT‐synthesized poly(methyl methacrylate) with dithiobenzoate end‐groups underwent similar reaction as indicated by immediate decolourization and a quantitative doubling of molecular weight. Higher‐molecular‐weight poly(methyl methacrylate)s were also rapidly decolourized by diazomethane and provided a product with a bimodal molecular weight distribution. Under similar conditions, the trithiocarbonate group does not react with diazomethane.