This paper reports the investigation of the nanostructured surface morphology of novel arborescent polyisobutylene-block-polystyrene (PIB–PS) copolymers, in comparison with linear PS–PIB–PS triblock copolymers, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tappi

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). As a catalyst copper(I)thiocyanate (CuSCN) was used with N-n-pentyl-2-pyridylmethanimine as a ligand. Infrared spectroscopy and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize the synthesized polymers. From this it was clear that at least to some extent thiocyanate was present as end groups of the PMMA chains. This observation is discussed in view of a phenomenon called halogen exchange, which has been reported before for bromine/chlorine exchange in ATRP.