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HyperMacs – long chain hyperbranched polymers: A dramatically improved synthesis and qualitative rheological analysis

Clarke, N.; De Luca, E.; Dodds, J.M.; Kimani, S.M.; Hutchings, L.R.

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Authors

N. Clarke

E. De Luca

J.M. Dodds

S.M. Kimani



Abstract

We have previously reported a novel (albeit modestly successful) strategy for the synthesis of polystyrene HyperMacs – long chain branched analogues of hyperbranched polymers. The building blocks for HyperMacs, AB2 macromonomers are synthesized by living anionic polymerization and as such are well-defined in terms of molecular weight and polydispersity but the nature of the coupling reaction used to generate the highly branched HyperMacs results in branched polymers with a distribution of molecular weights and architectures. In our previously reported studies the extent of the coupling reaction was significantly hampered by side reactions, however, we report here dramatic improvements to the coupling chemistry which overcome the previously experienced limitations resulting in a fourfold increase in the extent of the coupling reactions. Furthermore we report the effect of the addition of varying amounts of a B3 core molecule to the coupling reaction and the resultant ‘control’ of the final molecular weight of the HyperMac. Melt rheology showed polystyrene HyperMacs to be thermorheologically simple, obeying William–Landel–Ferry (WLF) behaviour. HyperMacs showed little evidence for relaxation by reptation and when the molecular weight of the macromonomer was ⩽Me for polystyrene, HyperMacs resemble unentangled polymers below the gel point, despite being well above the entanglement molecular weight for linear polystyrene. Increasing the molecular weight of the macromonomer to substantially above Me seems to introduce some entangled nature to the HyperMac as evidenced by the emergence of a near horizontal plateau in G″ – the loss modulus.

Citation

Clarke, N., De Luca, E., Dodds, J., Kimani, S., & Hutchings, L. (2008). HyperMacs – long chain hyperbranched polymers: A dramatically improved synthesis and qualitative rheological analysis. European Polymer Journal, 44(3), 665-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2007.12.022

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Mar 1, 2008
Deposit Date Feb 2, 2012
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal European Polymer Journal
Print ISSN 0014-3057
Electronic ISSN 1873-1945
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 44
Issue 3
Pages 665-676
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2007.12.022
Keywords Hyperbranched polymer, Anionic, Macromonometer, Dendritic.

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Copyright Statement
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in European Polymer Journal. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in European Polymer Journal, 44, 3, March 2008, 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2007.12.022.





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