The present invention provides: a novel production technique that enables production of a polymer whose molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled and production of a polymer having a complicated structure in a desirably controlled manner using commercially available materials without using a radical polymerization initiator or a special material for use in living radical polymerization and without the need for strict polymerization conditions; and a radical polymerization initiating group-containing compound for use in the technique. The present invention relates to: a method for producing a polymer, the method including a polymerization step of mixing and warming (1) a radically polymerizable monomer, (2) an organic compound wherein at least one group that functions as a group for initiating polymerization of the monomer and that has a structure represented by formula 1 or formula 2 (X in the formula represents Cl or Br) is introduced in a molecule of the organic compound, and (3) an iodine-containing compound, thereby initiating, from the group having the structure, radical polymerization accompanied by a termination reaction; and the organic compound of (2) for use in the method.

##STR00001##

Nanostructures and associated compositions, systems, and methods are provided. In some embodiments, a nanostructure may comprise polymers, intermolecular bonding groups, and a particle. The polymers may be associated with the particle and the intermolecular bonding groups may be associated with at least some of the polymers. In some embodiments, at least some of the intermolecular bonding groups may have a different chemical composition and/or chemical property than the polymers. In some embodiments, nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other via the intermolecular bonding groups to form a material. In some such cases, the intermolecular bonding groups on different nanostructures may reversibly associate with each other. In some embodiments, the nanostructures may be designed, such that the energy required to disassociate at least a portion of the nanostructures in the material is greater than the energy required to dissociate a single association between intermolecular bonding groups.

Higher throughput in aqueous addition polymerization is made possible by use of an external shell and tube heat exchanger operated in reverse mode, with coolant flowing through the tubes and polymerization mixture flowing through the shell around the tubes.

The present invention aims to provide a method capable of easily and efficiently producing a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic acid ester polymer. The present invention relates to a method of producing a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic acid ester polymer, the method including group-transfer polymerizing a monomer component containing a vinyl ether group-containing (meth)acrylic acid ester represented by the following formula (1), in the presence of a carbon-carbon double bond-containing silane compound and a catalyst,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are the same as or different from each other and are each a hydrogen atom or an organic group; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or an organic group; and n is an integer of 1 or more.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a fluorine-containing aromatic polymer; a method for producing the fluorine-containing aromatic polymer; etc. The problem can be solved by: a polymer having a monomer unit represented by formula (1) (wherein R.sup.1 in each occurrence is independently a halogen atom, NR.sup.11R.sup.12 (wherein R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 are independently a hydrogen atom or an organic group), or an organic group; n1 is an integer of 0 to 4; two R.sup.1s that can be present in the ortho-positions may form a ring together with two carbon atoms on the adjacent benzene ring, wherein the formed ring may have an organic group as a substituent; and L.sup.1 is a single bond, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, -L.sup.11-O—, —O-L.sup.12-O—, -L.sup.13-S—, or —S-L.sup.14-S— (wherein L.sup.11 to L.sup.14 are each independently an alkylene group optionally having one or more substituents); etc.

The present invention is directed to a functionalized elastomer comprising the reaction product of a living anionic elastomeric polymer and a polymerization terminator of formula I ##STR00001##
where X is Cl, Br, or I;
m is an integer from 0 to 2, n is an integer from 1 to 3, with the proviso that n+m=3;
R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are independently —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 taken together with their common nitrogen atom and optionally a sulfur or oxygen heteroatom to form a five to eight membered ring;
R.sup.3 is hydrogen, or C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.3 is —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, or R.sup.3 is -R.sup.6-R.sup.7, where R.sup.6 is C1 to C3 alkanediyl and R.sup.7 is selected from the following structures
—S—Z, —N(R.sup.8)(R.sup.9), —O(Y), or Si(OR.sup.10).sub.3, where R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof,
Y and Z are independently selected from the group consisting of methoxymethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tert-butyl, allyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, benzyl, triphenylmethyl, triethylsilyl, triisopropylsilyl, trimethylsilyl, tert-butyl dimethyl silyl, tert-butyl diphenyl silyl, and isopropyldimethylsilyl, and
R.sup.10 are independently C1 to C4 alkyl;
or when m=1, the polymerization terminator may have the formula II ##STR00002##
where R.sup.4, R.sup.5 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.4, R.sup.5 are independently —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, X and R.sup.3 are as defined previously, and k is an integer from 0 to 10.

The present invention is directed to a functionalized elastomer comprising the reaction product of a living anionic elastomeric polymer and a polymerization terminator of formula I ##STR00001##
where X is Cl, Br, or I;
m is an integer from 0 to 2, n is an integer from 1 to 3, with the proviso that n+m=3;
R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are independently —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 taken together with their common nitrogen atom and optionally a sulfur or oxygen heteroatom to form a five to eight membered ring;
R.sup.3 is hydrogen, or C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.3 is —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, or R.sup.3 is —R.sup.6—R.sup.7, where R.sup.6 is C1 to C3 alkanediyl and R.sup.7 is selected from the following structures
—S—Z, —N(R.sup.8)(R.sup.9), —O(Y), or Si(OR.sup.10).sub.3, where R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof,
Y and Z are independently selected from the group consisting of methoxymethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tert-butyl, allyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, benzyl, triphenylmethyl, triethylsilyl, triisopropylsilyl, trimethylsilyl, tert-butyl dimethyl silyl, tert-butyl diphenyl silyl, and isopropyldimethylsilyl, and
R.sup.10 are independently C1 to C4 alkyl;
or when m=1, the polymerization terminator may have the formula II ##STR00002##
where R.sup.4, R.sup.5 are independently C1 to C18 alkyl, aryl, or a combination thereof, or R.sup.4, R.sup.5 are independently —SiR.sub.3 where R is independently alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, or disubstituted amino, X and R.sup.3 are as defined previously, and k is an integer from 0 to 10.

The invention pertains to certain perfluorinated thermoplastic elastomers suitable for being processed through additive manufacturing techniques, thanks to their surprising ability to possess better processability (notably more significant shear thinning at processability temperature) than corresponding perfluorinated thermoplasts, which possess similar product profile and hence performances, offering hence advantages in throughput and part design accurate control, containment of degradation, reduction of fumes, and yet delivering parts with outstanding chemical resistance.

An ethylenically unsaturated polymer includes at a terminus the radical of an allylic compound that includes a functional group free of active hydrogen atoms that is bonded to the allylic C atom through a S, P, Si or Sn atom and a vinyl aromatic compound. The polymer can be used as a component of a variety of elastomeric compounds used in the production of vulcanizates.

A method for manufacturing a graft polymer, that ensures more stable progress of a living radical polymerization by using a monomer structural unit containing an iodine initiating group as an initiator, includes performing a living radical polymerization of a compound with a vinyl monomer by an organic catalyst to manufacture the graft polymer. The compound has a recurring unit represented by a formula (1) below in a main chain:

##STR00001##

where, R.sup.1: linking group (linear, branched, or cyclic alkylene group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms that may contain an ether bond, an amide bond, or an ester bond, an aromatic group), R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6: an aromatic group, an aliphatic group, a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, and n=1 to 5.