A Review on the Synthesis of Block Copolymers Containing Polystyrene Segments via Anionic Polymerization

  • Mr Jian Zhang, ECUST University (China) and WASM, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
  • Mrs Yao Zhang, WASM, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
  • Professor Anna Zheng, ECUST University, China
  • A/Professor Haipeng Wang, WASM, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
  • Mr Yuan Tian, WASM, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
  • Mrs Fei Wu, Applied Chemistry, Curtin University of Technology, Australia

    • Synthesis of block copolymers has been the research trend in recent years. Various block copolymers containing polystyrene segment are reviewed herein. Such as polystyrene-poly (diene, vinyl aromatics) block copolymers, polystyrene-poly(dimethyl siloxane) block copolymers, polystyrene-poly(alkyl (meth)acrylate) block copolymers. polystyrene-poly(lactones) block copolymers and polystyrene-poly (epoxyalkane) block copolymers. These block copolymers have been widely studied in the past decades, which is still research frontiers today. Depending on the alkality of the polymer carbanions, sequential monomer addition is commonly used to synthesis well-defined block copolymers of corresponding monomers. However, for the synthesis of block copolymers with complicated structures, combination of anionic polymerization and linking chemistry played an important role.