Photoinitiated, Living, Cationic Polymerization of 4-Methoxystyrene

Wei You
Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290, USA

We have carried out initial studies into the methanol-controlled visible light photoinitiated polymerization of 4-methoxystyrene using pyrylium salts. First order kinetic behavior, linear Mn growth with respect to monomer consumption, narrow Ð, and continued polymerization upon monomer addition all indicate the controlled/living nature of the polymerization. The accumulated data suggest methanol plays a role as a reversible chain transfer agent, analogous to that of dithiocarbamates in RAFT polymerization. The polymerization does not require the use of strong Lewis or Brønsted acids or the prior synthesis or formation of small molecule co-initiators. Poly(4-methoxystyrene) of low Ð can be prepared, with Mn controlled by the concentration of methanol.

Short Bio:
Dr. Wei You obtained his BS from University of Science and Technology of China in 1999. He graduated with his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2004 with Professor Luping Yu, and finished his postdoctoral training at Stanford University in 2006 with Professor Zhenan Bao. In July 2006, Dr. You joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an Assistant Professor in Chemistry, and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2012 when he also started serving as the Associate Chair for Research in the Chemistry Department. He has published over 60 papers in leading journals such as Nature Photonics, JACS, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., Macromolecules, Advanced Materials, among others, and has been an Associate Editor for Polymer Chemistry (RSC) since July 2013. He has received DuPont Young Professor Award (2008), NSF CAREER Award (2010), Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2011), Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2011), CAPA Distinguished Junior Faculty Award (2012), and Ruth and Phillip Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement (2013). His group is currently investigating organic solar cells, molecular spintronics/electronics and devices, bio-inspired materials for biomedical applications, and new polymerization methodologies.