Polymers obtained via nitroxyl radical polymerization

Abstract

Polymer of formula (I): In-[(A)-(B)-(A')-(E)]obtained by nitroxyl mediated controlled free radical polymerization whereby an access of acrylate is present, wherein In is the initiator fragment starting the polymerization reaction; A and A′ are the same or different monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters, acrylic acid (C-C)hydroxyalkyl esters, methacrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters, methacrylic acid (C-C)hydroxyalkyl esters, acrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters or methacrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters which are substituted by amino, (C-C)alkylamino, (C-C)dialkylamino, —SOH, epoxy, fluoro, perfluoro or siloxane groups, styrene, substituted styrene, acrylamide and methacrylamide, N-mono(C-C)alkyl acrylamide, N,N-di(C-C)alkyl acrylamide; provided that the amount of unsubstituted acrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters or/and methacrylic acid (C-C)alkyl esters is more than 30% by weight based on the weight of the total monomer mixture; and B is at least one multifunctional monomer with two or more ethylenically unsaturated bonds with the proviso than at least one of these ethylenically unsaturated bonds is a high reactive double bond and the other or the others are less reactive double or triple bonds. E is a group bearing at least one stable free nitroxyl radical, which is bound via the oxygen atom to the polymer or copolymer; or a group which results from a substitution or elimination reaction of the attached stable free nitroxyl radical; x and x′ independently is zero or a number between 5 to 5000; y is a number between 5 to 5000; z is a number 1 or greater than 1 indicating the average number of end groups E attached to the monomer sequence (A)-(B); preferably z is 1; n is a number from 1 to 20, preferably 1.