Preparation of azo functional poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) oligomers and block copolymers via combination of living cationic and condensation polymerization

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of azo functional poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) oligomers and block copolymers containing poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) and oligoesterdiol segments. Isobutyl vinyl ether was polymerized using a trifluoromethanesulfonic acid/tetrahydrothiophene initiating system in dichloromethane at -30°C, and quantitatively terminated with labile azo compounds to give poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) with well-defined molecular weight and end-groups. Also, diblock copolymers with poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) and oligoesterdiol segments were synthesized by termination of living, cationically polymerized isobutyl vinyl ether with oligoesterdiol.