Preparation of Polyacrylamide with Improved Tacticity and Low Molecular Weight Distribution

Polyacrylamide with improved tacticity and low molecular weight distribution was obtained via stereospecific atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using the mixture of Lewis acids Y(OTf)3 and AlCl3 in a certain ratio as stereospecific catalyst and chloroacetic acid/ Cu2O / N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine( TMEDA) as initiating system. The initiating system afforded persistently controlled ATRP of acrylamide with lower polydispersity index ranging from 1.12 to 1.35 as well as a moderate polymerization process. The participation of the mixture of Lewis acids Y(OTf)3 and AlCl3 as stereospecific catalyst in the stereospecific ATRP of acrylamide contributed optimal stereospecific PAM with the meso content 80%~83%. Polymerization kinetics displayed a living/controlled nature of the present polymerizations.