Synthesis of Poly(vinyl acetate)‐Based Block Copolymers for Highly Stretchable Film by Troponoid‐Mediated Radical Emulsion Polymerization

Abstract The emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) is carried out in an aqueous medium containing the anionic surfactant of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and various troponoids, including tropone ( TP ), tropolone ( TP‐OH ), 2‐chlorotropolone ( TP‐Cl ), and 2‐methoxytropolone ( TP‐OMe ). This method yields stable latexes of PVAc with characteristics of reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP), including predictable molecular weight, smooth shifts in the GPC traces, and molecular weight consistent with the theoretical values. Additionally, block copolymers of poly(vinyl acetate)‐ block ‐poly(methyl acrylate) (PVAc‐ b ‐PMA) are prepared and exhibited remarkable stretchability, achieving a strain of 1507% when cast into a film. This innovative RDRP technique offers an environmentally friendly approach for generating PVAc‐based block copolymers suitable for advanced materials applications and potential large‐scale production.