Polar Olefin Block Copolymers – PolarOBC

To achieve the synthesis of such block copolymers, PolarOBC will mainly rely on the controlled radical polymerization (CRP) of apolar olefins, pioneered recently at C2P2 laboratory in the case of ethylene using Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) technique.

Improvment of the control of controlled radical polymerization (CRP) of ethylene by an appropriate choice of RAFT agents
Synthesis of statistical copolymers EVA by RAFT CRP
Synthesis of the first diblock copolymers PVAc-b-PE
Synthesis of the first diblock copolymers PMMA-b-PE
Synthesis of the first diblock copolymers PEG-b-PE

Go on with the synthesis of block copolymers of ethylene and polar vinyl monomers
Evaluation of their «material« properties

“Controlled Radical Polymerization of Ethylene Using Organotellurium Compounds”
Y. Nakamura, B. Ebeling, A. Wolpers, V. Monteil, F. D'Agosto, S. Yamago
Volume 57, Issue 1, 2018, Pages: 305–309

The purpose of PolarOBC (Polar Olefin Block Copolymers) project is to answer simultaneously two major challenges in the field of polyolefins, the most industrially produced polymers: the control of the synthesis of block copolymers and the introduction of polar functions. For these reasons PolarOBC project undoubtedly meets the societal challenge “Stimulate the industrial renewal” of the ANR generic call 2015.
To achieve the synthesis of such block copolymers, PolarOBC will mainly rely on the controlled radical polymerization of apolar olefins, pioneered recently at C2P2 laboratory in the case of ethylene using Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) technique. Polar/apolar olefin (di)block copolymers will be produced under low energy demanding and environmentally friendly process conditions (T < 100°C; P < 250 bar). While ethylene will be the preferred apolar olefin, targets in terms of polar olefins will be “less-activated” monomers (LAMs) such as vinyl acetate and “more-activated” monomers (MAMs) such as methylmethacrylate (MMA) or acrylates. An important variant of the block copolymers synthetic process will take place in aqueous dispersed media by adapting polymerization-induced (block copolymers) self-assembly (PISA) technique to the case of ethylene.
The material properties of the resulting polar OBCs, in particular surface/interface properties linked to their polar/apolar balance, will be evaluated. Their self-assembly properties in bulk and their use to tailor interfaces within polymer blends will be in particular studied.
To manage this 42-months project, collaboration between the C2P2 laboratory (for synthetic aspects) and the IMP laboratory (for material evaluation) in Villeurbanne is proposed. The complementary expertise provided by the two research groups will be essential to the success of this ambitious project, which will lead to fully innovative specialty materials (polar OBCs) in the field of polyolefins.