Synthesis and Characterization of Polysulfone-based Graft Copolymer Possessing Quaternary Ammonium Salts via Photoiniferter Polymerization

Abstract

A well-defined polysulfone-based graft copolymers containing quaternary ammonioum salts are successfully prepared by photoiniferter method under mild conditions. The corresponding macroiniferter agent is sequentially synthesized by chloromethylation and nucleophilic substitution reaction between obtained chloromethylated polysulfone and sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate. Upon UV irradiation, this macroiniferter enables the successful grafting of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate onto the polysulfone backbone in a controlled manner. After the successful synthesis of graft copolymers, the tertiary amine groups in the side-chains are readily quaternized using methyl iodide to get desired quaternary ammonioum salts containing graft copolymers.