| abstract |
Provided herein are methods of post-polymerization modification of polymers. The method includes the step of reacting the polymer with at least one nucleophile in a nucleophilic substitution reaction in the absence of a solvent to produce a functionalized polymer. The nucleophile can be selected from the following: thioacetates, phenates, alkoxides, carboxylates, thiolates, thiocarboxylates, dithiocarboxylates, thioureas, thiocarbamates , dithiocarbamate, xanthate, thiocyanate. The nucleophilic substitution reaction can be carried out in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst. Nucleophilic substitution reactions can also be performed by a two-step in situ reactive hybrid approach, first forming a polymer-amine ionomer (polymer - NR3 + Br- ) , which catalyzes a subsequent nucleophilic catalyzed by a second nucleophile substitution to form bifunctional polymers. |