Ring-opened azlactone initiators for nitroxide-mediated polymerization

A telechelic (co)polymer comprising polymerized units of one or more free radically (co)polymerizable monomers,

• an first ring-opened azlactone terminal group;
• and
• a second terminal group that is the residue of an organonitroxide
• wherein the (co)polymer comprises the structure
• Az—(M1)x—ON(R2)2, wherein ON(R2)2 is the residue of an organonitroxide;
• M1 is a monomer unit derived from a radically (co)polymerizable monomer unit having an average degree of polymerization x, and Az is a ring-opened azlactone group of the formula:
• wherein X is an H, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an arenyl group, an aryl group, a nitrile, an acyl group or the residue of a free-radical initiator;
• R1 is H, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an arenyl group or an aryl group;
• R3 and R4 are each independently selected from an alkyl, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an arenyl group, or R3 and R4 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached from a carbocyclic ring;
• Q is a linking group selected from a covalent bond, (—CH2—)o, —CO—O—(CH2)o—, —CO—O—(CH2CH2O)o—, —CO—NR6—(CH2)o—, —CO—S—(CH2)o—, where o is 1 to 12, and R6 is H, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an arenyl group, a heterocyclic group or an aryl group;
• each n is 0 or 1;
• m is 0 to 20;
• q is 0 or 1;
• Z is O, S or NR6, wherein R6 is H, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an arenyl group, a heterocyclic group or an aryl group;
• R5 is an organic or inorganic moiety and has a valency of p.