0000000000529854
AUTHOR
Hauke Rabbel
Statistical properties of linear-hyperbranched graft copolymers prepared via "hypergrafting" of AB(m) monomers from linear B-functional core chains: A molecular dynamics simulation.
The reaction of ABm monomers (m = 2, 3) with a multifunctional Bf-type polymer chain ("hypergrafting") is studied by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The ABm monomers are hypergrafted using the slow monomer addition strategy. Fully dendronized, i.e., perfectly branched polymers are also simulated for comparison. The degree of branching of the molecules obtained with the "hypergrafting" process critically depends on the rate with which monomers attach to inner monomers compared to terminal monomers. This ratio is more favorable if the ABm monomers have lower reactivity, since the free monomers then have time to diffuse inside the chain. Configurational chain properties are also…
Polydispersity and Molecular Weight Distribution of Hyperbranched Graft Copolymers via “Hypergrafting” of ABm Monomers from Polydisperse Macroinitiator Cores: Theory Meets Synthesis
The hypergrafting strategy designates the synthesis of hyperbranched graft copolymers (HGCs) in a grafting-from approach, using ABm monomers, from multifunctional, polydisperse macroinitiator cores by slow monomer addition. Hypergrafting leads to complex polymer topologies with defined molecular weight, degree of branching (DB), and polydispersity (PD). By a generating function formalism, a generally applicable equation for the PD of HGCs (PD = PDf + (m – 1)/f) is derived, where PDf is the polydispersity of the core and f its average functionality. In addition, the complete molecular weight distribution function has been calculated for varied m and f as well as for a given distribution of i…