Star-shaped polymers with branched poly[p-(halogerimethyl)styrenel cores

Methods of preparation of core/shell type star-shaped polymers have been presented. The core was either poly[p-(chloromethyl)styrene] [poliPCMS, Formula (I)] or poly[p-(iodomethyl)styrene] [poliPJMS, Formula (II)]. PoliPCMS was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) while poliPJMS has been obtained first time via radical polymerization with degenerative chain transfer (Scheme A). PoliPCMS has been used as a core to obtain amphiphilic star-shaped polymers with arms made of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEOX) of different molar mass [equation (2)], in a Williamson reaction by the "arm-first" method. PoliPJMS core has been used as a precursor in "core-first" method to obtain well defined star-shaped polymers with the arms made of poly(t-butyl acrylate) (PAKTB), polystyrene [PS, equation (4)] or copolymers PS-block-PAKTB [equation (5)] using the iodine mediated degenerative chain transfer polymerization. Star-shaped polymers have been characterized using gel permeation chromatography/multi-angle laser light scattering (GPC-MALLS) (Fig. 1 and 2, Tables 1-3) and H-1 NMR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy.