Study of amphiphilic poly(1-dodecene-co-para-methylstyrene)-graft-poly (ethylene glycol): Part I. Preparation of poly(1-dodecene-co-para-methylstyrene) copolymer and its molecular weight regulation

Poly(1-dodecene-co-para-methylstyrene) copolymers with a broad composition range were prepared by an MgCl2 supported TiCl4 catalyst. The effects of temperature and hydrogen on catalyst activity were investigated. It was found that catalyst activity reached a maximum at around 60 °C, and then decreased with the rising temperature. Hydrogen showed an activation effect on the Ziegler–Natta catalyst. 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra showed that para-methylstyrene (pMS) could be effectively and randomly incorporated into the copolymer chains. The single glass transition indicated there was no block sequence in the copolymer. The copolymerization reaction was examined by the reactivity ratios of comonomers and the relatively low reactivity ratios of 1-dodecene and pMS indicated that both of them had little tendency of consecutive insertion and should be homogeneously distributed in the copolymer chains. Furthermore, the molecular weights of copolymers were regulated by chain transfer agents (diethyl zinc and hydrogen) and temperature. The molecular weights reduced greatly with the addition of diethyl zinc and hydrogen and with the increasing temperature.