Reactive surfactants in heterophase polymerization for high performance polymers. Part 1. Synthesis of functionalized poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly (butylene oxide) copolymers as surfmers inisurfs and transurfs in heterophase polymerization

A variety of nonionic reactive surfactants have been prepared from block copolymer precursors. These precursors are formed from a commercially available polyoxyethylene glycol monomethylether as the hydrophilic sequence of the surfactant; this product is used as initiator of ring opening anionic polymerization of butylene oxide. Finally the reactive surfactants are obtained after proper functionalization of the precursor. The reactive surfactants are an inisurf with an asymmetric azo compound, a transurf with a thiol group, and a few surfmers with acrylic, methacrylic, styrenic and α-methyl styrenic reactive groups. These compounds have been engaged in styrene emulsion or dispersion polymerization. Several of them have been found to be useful for preparing stable latices.