Process for producing polymer with functional end

A method for producing an end-functionalized polymer, wherein a β-substituted styrene derivative represented by the following general formula (ii);

• wherein:
• A represents a heteroatom selected from among an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, and a phosphorus atom;
• Ar represents an optionally substituted aryl group;
• R2 represents a C1-10 alkylene group;
• R3 represents a C1-10 alkyl group or a protective group for the functional group -A-H (A is the heteroatom);
• and when the heteroatom A is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, then m and n are 0 or 1 respectively and the sum of m and n is 1, and when the heteroatom A is a nitrogen atom or a phosphorus atom, then m and n are 0, 1, or 2 respectively and the sum of m and n is 2, is reacted with an organolithium compound represented by the following general formula (iii);
• R1—Li (iii),
• wherein R1 represents a C1-10 alkyl group, while the amount of the organolithium compound represented by the general formula (iii) is controlled to more than n moles (here, n represents the same numeral as n expressed in the general formula (ii)) per one mole of the β-substituted styrene derivative represented by the general formula (ii), and thereafter an anionically polymerizable monomer is anionically polymerized under the existence of the obtained reaction product mixture.

A functionalized anionic polymerization initiator represented by the following general formula (i);

• wherein:
• A represents a heteroatom selected from among an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, and a phosphorus atom;
• Ar represents an optionally substituted aryl group;
• R1 represents a C1-10 alkyl group;
• R2 represents a C1-10 alkylene group;
• R3 represents a C1-10 alkyl group or a protective group for the functional group -A-H (A is the heteroatom);
• and when the heteroatom A is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, then m and n are 0 or 1 respectively and the sum of m and n is 1, and when the heteroatom A is a nitrogen atom or a phosphorus atom, then m and n are 0, 1, or 2 respectively and the sum of m and n is 2.

A method for producing a functionalized anionic polymerization initiator, wherein a β-substituted styrene derivative represented by the following general formula (ii);

• wherein:
• A represents a heteroatom selected from among an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, and a phosphorus atom;
• Ar represents an optionally substituted aryl group;
• R2 represents a C1-10 alkylene group;
• R3 represents a C1-10 alkyl group or a protective group for the functional group -A-H (A is the heteroatom);
• and when the heteroatom A is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, then m and n are 0 or 1 respectively and the sum of m and n is 1, and when the heteroatom A is a nitrogen atom or a phosphorus atom, then m and n are 0, 1, or 2 respectively and the sum of m and n is 2, is reacted with an organolithium compound represented by the following general formula (iii);
• R1—Li (iii),
• wherein R1 represents a C1-10 alkyl group, while the amount of the organolithium compound is controlled to more than n moles (here, n represents the same numeral as n expressed in the general formula (ii)) per one mole of the β-substituted styrene derivative.

A method for producing a functionalized anionic polymerization initiator, wherein a β-substituted styrene derivative represented by the following general formula (ii);

• wherein:
• A represents a heteroatom selected from among an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, and a phosphorus atom;
• Ar represents an optionally substituted aryl group;
• R2 represents a C1-10 alkylene group;
• R3 represents a C1-10 alkyl group or a protective group for the functional group -A-H (A is the heteroatom);
• and when the heteroatom A is an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, then m and n are 0 or 1 respectively and the sum of m and n is 1, and when the heteroatom A is a nitrogen atom or a phosphorus atom, then m and n are 0, 1, or 2 respectively and the sum of m and n is 2, is reacted with an organolithium compound represented by the following general formula (iii);
• R1—Li (iii),
• wherein R1 represents a C1-10 alkyl group, while the amount of the organolithium compound is controlled to more than n moles to not more than (n+1) moles (here, n represents the same numeral as n expressed in the general formula (ii)) per one mole of the β-substituted styrene derivative.