One‐Pot Reversible Complexation Mediated Polymerization (RCMP) from Benzylic Alcohols for Facile Access to Polymer‐Grafted Lignin

Abstract One‐pot synthesis of methacrylic and acrylic polymers from benzylic alcohols (R−OH) used as initiating moieties was developed. R−OH was converted to alkyl iodide (R−I), and the generated R−I was used as an initiator without purification or isolation in the subsequent reversible complexation mediated polymerization (RCMP), leading to one‐pot RCMP from R−OH. As a useful application, this technique was exploited for one‐pot polymer‐grafting from lignin that is the second most abundant renewable carbon‐source on earth and bears benzylic alcohols. The direct initiation from lignin eliminates tedious initiator attachment and purification, offering a facile access to polymer‐grafted lignin. The obtained polymer‐grafted lignin was utilized to form an efficient UV‐absorbing film with high transparency in visible region. One‐pot RCMP may serve as a practical method to obtain value‐added functional lignin‐polymer composites.