LAUSR

Abstract New ABA tri-block copolymers of poly(tert-butylacrylate)-b-poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate)-b-poly(tert-butylacrylate) (PtBA-b-PTFEA-b-PtBA) with controlled molecular weight (Mn,GPC = 14,900–27,000 g·mol−1) and narrow molecular weight distribution (Ð = 1.09–1.33) were successfully synthesized for the first time by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in the presence of macromlecular chain transfer agent PtBA-CTA, which was obtained by RAFT polymerization of tBA using S,S′-bis(α,α′-dimethyl-α″-acetic acid) trithiocarbonate (BDTAC) as chain transfer agent. The chain structure and component of PtBA-b-PTFEA-b-PtBA tri-block copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, 19F NMR, GPC, FT-IR, UV and elemental analysis. The self-assembly behavior of such triblock copolymers in THF/H2O (v:v = 3:7) was studied by dynamic self-organized precipitation (D-SORP) method. The micellar of PtBA-b-PTFEA-b-PtBA with different particle size profiles and morphologies (average particle diameter = 365.7–536.7 nm, particle size distribution = 0.134–0.159) were observed and determined by SEM, TEM and DLS, respectively. The PtBA-b-PTFEA-b-PtBA tri-block copolymers were fabricated not only to hydrophobic ordered porous films (average pore diameter of 1.24–1.77 μm, static water contact angle = 102–118°) via static breath-figure process, but also to hydrophobic microfibers (average diameter of 4.96 μm, static water contact angle = 133°) by electrospinning technique.