Synthesis of Molecular Bottlebrushes by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization with ppm Amounts of Cu Catalyst

Alper Nese, Yuanchao Li, Sergei S. Sheiko, and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/mz3002484

Poly(n-butyl acrylate) side chains were grafted from a polymethacrylate backbone using ATRP catalyzed by ppm amounts of copper catalyst in conjunction with either ICAR (initiators for continuous activator regeneration) or SARA (supplemental activator and reducing agent). ICAR uses AIBN to regenerate the copper (I) active catalyst, and SARA uses copper (0) as a reducing agent to regenerate the copper (I) species from copper (II).