Postpolymerization functionalization is a commonly employed technique to modify existing homopolymers. Conventional methods of functionalization, however, afford limited control over the placement of functional groups along the polymer backbone, resulting in a random architecture and loss of polymer crystallinity. Recently, a novel method for generating blocky copolymers by postpolymerization functionalization in the gel-state was introduced. By reacting in the gel-state, the functionalizing reagent is sterically excluded from the crystalline domains and is thus only capable of penetrating and functionalizing the solvent-swollen amorphous domains. In this work, semicrystalline, thermoreversible gels of poly(ether ether ketone) were sulfonated and halogenated to generate blocky architectures. The blocky architectures were characterized using <sup>1</sup>H NMR, FTIR, and DSC and were compared to random analogues at similar degrees of functionalization. By utilizing this gel-state method, it is possible to achieve high degrees of functionalization with control over copolymer architecture and preserved crystallizability.

Functionalization in the gel-state: A simple route to blocky copolymers of poly(ether ether ketone)

254th National Meeting (2017)

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