Simple bifunctional salts for synthesising block copolymers from anhydrides/epoxides and vinyl acetate

Abstract

Herein, we report the first synthesis of poly(ester-block-vinyl acetate) via epoxide/anhydride ring-opening copolymerisation and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation. This was achieved using simple, robust and bifunctional alkali metal carboxylates featuring a xanthate unit.