Synthesis and characterization of PS-block-PEO associative water-soluble polymers

We report the synthesis and structure determination of PS-block-PEO functionalized by fluorocarbon end-group (C8F17) via an ester bridge. The synthesis was done by an anionic polymerization of PS and POE terminated by grafting 3-perfluorooctylpropanoyle chloride (C8F17–C2H4–COCl) onto PS-POE alcoholate. The structure has been characterized by a number of techniques: size exclusion chromatography, elementary analysis, UV spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. Those analyses have allowed the determination of the real molar mass of the copolymers and the percentage functionalization. Because of their well-defined structure, these copolymers can be used as model compounds for the determination of structure–property relationships.