ATRP of N-Hydroxyethyl Acrylamide in the Presence of Lewis Acids: Control of Tacticity, Molecular Weight, and Architecture.

Good control of tacticity, molecular weight, and architecture is attained via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA), in a one-pot process in the presence of Y(OTf) . The effect of temperature, ratio of [Y(OTf) ]/[HEAA], and ATRP procedure on the tacticity and degree of control over the polymerization is investigated in detail. Under optimal conditions, using photo ATRP and 15% Y(OTf) the content of meso dyads (m) can be increased from 42% to 80% in a homopolymer with a dispersity D = 1.22. Well-defined stereoblock copolymers, atactic- b -isotactic poly(HEAA), with D = 1.27, are obtained by adding Y(OTf) at a specific conversion, initially started without Y(OTf) .