Photoinduced Metal-Free Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Biomass-Based Monomers

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b01997
• Publication Date: 2016-10-11T17:38:28Z
• Authors: Jifu Wang; Liang Yuan; Zhongkai Wang; Md Anisur Rahman; Yucheng Huang; Tianyu Zhu; Ruibo Wang; Jianjun Cheng; Chunpeng Wang; Fuxiang Chu; Chuanbing Tang
• Keywords: Atom-transfer radical-polymerization; Dispersity; Chain transfer; Living free-radical polymerization

Well-defined polymers derived from biomass feedstock (e.g., soybean oil, rosin acid, and furfural) were successfully prepared by metal-free atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). In the presence of photoredox catalysts UV irradiation, three biomass-based methacrylate monomers efficiently polymerized with good control over molecular weight dispersity. NMR MALDI-TOF MS confirmed high fidelity chain end groups originated initiators. Furthermore, block copolymers these also achieved through extension ATRP.