A controlled radical polymerization route to polyepoxidated grafted hemicellulose materials

Polyfunctional copolymers were prepared from the major softwood hemicellulose polysaccharide, i.e. O-acetylated galactoglucomannan (AcGGM) through a grafting-from controlled radical polymerization. AcGGM was functionalized with brominated pendant groups that served as initiating species in the subsequent Cu(0) mediated radical polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). A linear relationship of ln[GMA](0)/[GMA] (the index 0 refers to the initial value) versus reaction time up to conversions of 80 % suggests a first order rate of propagation and a living polymerization.