The present invention is a,
solid block
copolymer comprising at least two
polymer end blocks A and at least one
polymer interior block B wherein each A block is a
polymer block resistant to lithiation and each B block is a polymer block susceptible to lithiation, and wherein said A and B blocks do not contain any significant levels of olefinic unsaturation. Preferably, each A block comprising one or more segments selected from polymerized (i) para-substituted
styrene monomers not having
hydrogen on a para benzylic carbon center, (ii)
ethylene, (iii) alpha olefins of 3 to 18 carbon atoms; (iv) hydrogenated 1,3-cyclodiene monomers, (v) hydrogenated monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 35 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, (vi) acrylic esters, (vii) methacrylic esters, and (viii) mixtures thereof; and each B block comprising segments of one or more polymerized vinyl aromatic monomers selected from (i) unsubstituted
styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted
styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) para-substituted styrene having
hydrogen on a para benzylic carbon center (vi) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vii) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (viii) mixtures thereof. After lithiation, the lithiated polymer is reacted with at least one graftable functional molecule selected from the group consisting of an electrophilic graftable molecule containing a functional group and an
electrophile. Preferred are
carbon monoxide and
ethylene oxide. Also claimed are processes for making such block copolymers, and the various end uses and applications for such block copolymers.