Preparation and thermal properties of block copolymers of PDMS with styrene or methyl methacrylate using ATRP

This note describes the synthesis of A–B–A block copolymers with B=PDMS and A=polystyrene or PMMA. The method involves the use of chloromethyl terminated polysiloxanes as initiators for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation. Characterisation of the copolymers by NMR is described together with their thermal properties as measured by differential scanning calorimetery.