Well-defined polymer precursors synthesized by RAFT polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide/N-acryloxysuccinimide: random and block copolymers

N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N-acryloxysuccinimide (NAS) were copolymerized by the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique, to obtain random and block copolymer precursors onto which different side-groups may be statistically grafted via the reactive NAS units. These reactive copolymers have interesting applications in various fields such as coatings and paints, water purification and biology. Random poly(DMA-co-NAS) copolymer chains were synthesized with a 75/25 molar ratio, high conversion, an excellent molecular weight (MW) control from 5000 to 130 000 g mol⁻¹, and low polydispersity index (M_w/M_n<1.1). Poly(DMA-b-NAS) block copolymers were synthesized by a two step method, in which a poly(DMA) homopolymer was prepared first and then used as macro-chain transfer agent to polymerize NAS. For example, a poly(DMA-b-NAS) sample was obtained with an average molecular weight of 44 300/7400 g mol⁻¹ corresponding to 447 DMA and 44 NAS units. Such block copolymers had not yet been synthesized by any controlled polymerization technique. They can be used to prepare polymers with exactly the same backbone and an increasing number of different side groups (e.g. hydrophobic, ionic or fluorescent).