Polydiacetone acrylamide (PDAAM), a reactive polymer containing pendant ketone groups was synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Kinetic studies indicated a well-controlled behavior of this RAFT polymerization. The characteristics of this RAFT polymerization was also confirmed by a wellcontrolled chain-extending RAFT polymerization using the above-synthesized PDAAM as a macromolecular chain transfer agent. Acid-catalyzed ketalization of PDAAM with trimethylol propane (TMP) was carried out to obtain the polymer containing pendant cyclic ketal groups and hydroxyl groups, PDAAM-TMP. PCL was grafted from PDAAM-TMP by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) in the presence of tin 2-ethylhexanoate as a catalyst to obtain graft copolymer. Basecatalyzed aldol condensation of PDAAM with benzaldehyde was also used to obtain poly[N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxo-5-phenyl-pent-4-enyl)-acrylamide] (PDMOPPEAM) having cinnamoyl groups, and the photoreactivity of polymer with cinnamoyl group was studied by UV-visible and IR absorption spectroscopy. Both of these two polymers prepared from PDAAM were characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. PDAAM can be a multifunctional platform that can undergo further polymerization by ketalization and aldol condensation.

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Keywords: reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), functionalization of polymers, ring-opening polymerization (ROP), photochemistry