• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.366-371
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• 2008

The controlled/living cationic polymerization of $\alpha$-methylstyrene (${\alpha}MeSt$) and sequential block copolymerization of isobutylene (IB) with ${\alpha}MeSt$ were achieved using 2-chloro-2,4,4-trimethylpentane (TMPCl)/titanium tetrachloride ($TiCl_4$)/titanium isopropoxide ($Ti(OiPr)_4$)/2,6-ditert-butylpyridine (DtBP) initiating system in $CH_3Cl$/hexane(50/50 v/v) solvent mixture at $-80^{\circ}C$. The polymerization rate decreased with increasing $[Ti(OiPr)_4]/[TiCl_4]$ ratio in the homopolymerization of ${\alpha}MeSt$. The effects of $[Ti(OiPr)_4]/[TiCl_4]$ ratios and $PIB^+$ molecular weight on the polymerization rate and blocking efficiency were also investigated. Well-defined poly(isobutylene-b-$\alpha$-methylstyrene)s were demonstrated by $^1H$-NMR and triple detection SEC; refractive index (RI), multiangle laser light scattering (MALLS) and ultraviolet (UV) detectors. Blocking efficiencies for the poly(isobutylene-b-$\alpha$-methylstyrene)s of almost 100% were obtained when ${\alpha}MeSt$ was induced by PIB's of $M_n\;{\geq}\;41000$ at $[Ti(OiPr)_4]/[TiCl_4]=1$. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the block copolymers showed two glass transition temperatures, thereby demonstrating microphase separation.