摘要

A novel polymerization system with activators generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for sustainable catalyst/ligand separation and recycling in situ is developed based on thermoregulated phase transfer catalysis in organic/aqueous biphasic system. Herein, a typical iniferter agent 1-cyano-1-methylethyldiethyldithiocarbamte is used as the initiator, and CuBr2, monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-350-supported substituted dipicolylamine (L-350), ascorbic acid, and methyl methacrylate are employed as the catalyst, thermoresponsive ligand, reducing agent, and the model monomer, respectively. The living nature of the system is confirmed by polymerization kinetics with recycled catalyst complex aqueous solution and chain-extension experiments via iniferter and ATRP mechanism, respectively. In addition, the catalyst residue in polymers is less than 2 ppm and the recycling efficiency of catalyst complex in water kept more than 95% even after 5 times of recovery experiments while keeping narrow molecular weight distribution (M-w/M-n < 1.33).