MADIX Synthesis of Hydrophobically Modified poly(vinyl alcohol)s and their Properties as Stabilizers in Emulsion Polymerization

The synthesis, alcoholysis, and aqueous solution properties of two different architectures of copolymers obtained by macromolecular design via interchange of xanthate (MADIX) and comprising of vinyl acetate (VAc), vinyl alcohol (VOH), and a more hydrophobic vinyl neodecanoate (Versa10, V10) comonomer are reported. The use of MADIX polymerization allowed the synthesis of poly[(vinyl acetate)-co-(vinyl neodecanoate)] statistical copolymers as well as poly(vinyl acetate)-b-poly[(vinyl acetate)-co-(vinyl neodecanoate)] block copolymers incorporating a statistical segment with different fractions of V10. Subsequently, these structures were alcoholyzed to introduce VOH units and generate amphiphilic copolymers. Self-assembly of these macromolecular structures was evaluated in water, and these new copolymers were tested as stabilizers in the emulsion copolymerization of VAc and V10.