Micellization behavior of diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(t-butyl methacrylate) bearing associating short polystyrene end-blocks

Anionic polymerization high vacuum techniques were employed for the synthesis of a diblock (PS-b-PtBuMA) and two triblock (PS-b-PtBuMA-b-PS) copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(t-butyl methacrylate) (PtBuMA) bearing similar low molecular weight PS end-block(s). Dilute solution viscometry, as well as static and dynamic light scattering, were employed to assess whether the short PS end-blocks were able to promote association in t-amyl alcohol, a selective solvent for PtBuMA. The effect of macromolecular architecture on the association behavior of the copolymers was also examined.