| Abstract: | Block copolymers consisting of methyl vinyl ether (MeVE) units and octadecyl vinyl ether (ODVE) units were synthesized using the cationic living polymerization technique. The polymerization of MeVE was initiated with the trimethyl silyl iodide/1,1-diethoxyethane/ZnI2 system at −40°C in toluene and the living polymer thus obtained was used as initiator for the polymerization of ODVE at 07deg;C. The combination of hydrophilic (PMeVE) and hydrophobic (PODVE) segments provides the block copolymers with non-ionic surfactant properties, which have been evaluated by measurement of the stabilities of water–decane emulsions. |
