Monodisperse polymers containing (alkyl)acrylic acid moieties, precursors and methods for making them and their applications

A method for making a polymer segment with a polydispersity index not above 1.30 of a 1-alkoxyalkyl acrylate or 1-alkylthioalkyl acrylate or a 1-alkoxyalkyl α-substituted acrylate or 1-alkylthioalkyl α-substituted acrylate, having a number average molecular weight ranging from 1,200 to 15,000, said polymer segment being end-capped with a terminal halogen atom, said method comprising polymerizing a polymerizable monomer selected from the group consisting of 1-alkoxyalkyl acrylates, 1-alkylthioalkyl acrylates, 1-alkoxyalkyl α-substituted acrylates and 1-alkylthioalkyl α-substituted acrylates into a polymer segment by atom transfer radical polymerisation, wherein polymerisation is effected under an inert atmosphere, at a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 55° C., in the presence of an initiation system comprising (i) a transition metal compound selected from the group consisting of copper monochloride, copper monobromide, zinc dichloride and zinc dibromide, (ii) a ligand for solubilising said transition metal, said ligand being selected from the group consisting of 1,10-phenanthroline, cryptands, K222, crown ethers, 18-crown-6-ether, carbon monoxide, porphyrins, porphycenes, ethylenediamine, propylenediamine, tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine, amino-alcohols, aminopropanol, aminoethanol, diglyme, triethyleneglycol dimethyl ether, pentaoxapentadecane, cyclopentadienyl, cyclooctadienyl and norbornadienyl, and (iii) an initiator having a radically transferable atom.