Star block copolymer

A star block copolymer characterized in that an arm moiety (A) comprises a polymer chain (A1) having a repeated unit represented by one of

• the general formula (I):
• wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• and p represents 1 or 2 wherein R2 may be identical or different when p is 2, in the star block copolymer having the arm moiety composed of a central core and polymer chains extending from the central core;
• the general formulae (I) and (II):
• wherein R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R4 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• R5 represents an acidolytic/leaving group;
• q represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R4 may be identical or different when q is 2;
• the general formulae (I) and (III):
• wherein R6 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an aryl group which may have substituents;
• R7 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• r represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R7 may be identical or different when r is 2;
• and
• the general formulae (I), (II) and (III):
• wherein R3, R4, R5, and q are the same as mentioned above, and
• wherein the arm moiety (A) has the polymer chain (A1) and a polymer chain (A2) having repeated units (A21) represented by one of:
• the general formula (IV):
• wherein R8 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• and R9 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1 through C12 alkyl group, a hydrocarbon group having alicyclic skeletons of C3 or more which may have substituents, an alkyl group having hydrocarbon groups having the alicyclic skeletons, or a heterocyclic group;
• and
• the general formula (IV) and repeated units (A22) represented by the general formula (V):
• wherein R10 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or an aryl group which may have substituents;
• R11represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group, or OR12 group wherein R12 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1 through C6 alkyl group, or an acidolytic/leaving group;
• and t represents an integer of 0 or from 1 through 3 wherein R11 may be identical or different when t is 2 or more.

A star block copolymer characterized in that an arm moiety (A) comprises a polymer chain (A1) having a repeated unit represented by one of the general formula (I):

• wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• and p represents 1 or 2 wherein R2 may be identical or different when p is 2, in the star block copolymer having the arm moiety composed of a central core and polymer chains extending from the central core;
• the general formulae (I) and (II):
• wherein R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R4 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• R5 represents an acidolytic/leaving group;
• q represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R4 may be identical or different when q is 2;
• the general formulae (I) and (III):
• wherein R6 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an aryl group which may have substituents;
• R7 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• r represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R7 may be identical or different when r is 2;
• and
• the general formulae (I), (II) and (III):
• wherein R3, R4, R5, and q are the same as mentioned above,
• characterized in that by anionic polymerization using an anionic polymerization initiator as a polymerization initiator, after a compound represented by the general formula (VII):
• wherein R3, R4, R5 and q are the same as mentioned above is homopolymerized or after the compound represented by the general formula (VII) and a compound capable of copolymerizing are copolymerized, further a polyfunctional coupling agent (C) is copolymerized, and then protective groups of phenol hydroxyl groups are eliminated.

A star block copolymer characterized in that an arm moiety (A) comprises a polymer chain (A1) having a repeated unit represented by one of

• the general formula (I):
• wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• and p represents 1 or 2 wherein R2 may be identical or different when p is 2, in the star block copolymer having the arm moiety composed of a central core and polymer chains extending from the central core;
• the general formulae (I) and (II):
• wherein R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• R4 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• R5 represents an acidolytic/leaving group;
• q represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R4 may be identical or different when q is 2;
• the general formulae (I) and (III):
• wherein R6 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an aryl group which may have substituents;
• R7 represents a C1 through C6 alkyl group;
• r represents 0, 1 or 2 wherein R7 may be identical or different when r is 2;
• and
• the general formulae (I), (II) and (III):
• wherein R3, R4, R5, and q are the same as mentioned above, and
• wherein the central core is a core crosslinked with a polyfunctional coupling agent.