Patent ID: 8871871

Claim:
A method of making a functionalized polymer that comprises one or more types of polyene mer and at least one functionalizing unit that comprises an aryl group having at least one directly bonded OR group wherein R is a hydrolyzable trialkylsiloxy group, acetal group, tert-butyl ether group, or 2-methoxyethoxy ether group, said method comprising: a) providing a solution comprising an initiating compound and ethylenically unsaturated monomers that comprise at least one type of polyene, at least one type of C 8 -C 20 vinyl aromatic compound selected from styrene, a-methyl styrene, p-methyl styrene, vinyl toluenes, and vinyl naphthalenes, and an ethylenically unsaturated compound defined by the general formula CH 2 ═CHR 1 where R 1 is a phenyl group or polycyclic aromatic radical that comprises at least one directly bonded OR group; b) allowing said initiating compound to anionically initiate polymerization of said ethylenically unsaturated monomers so as to provide a carbanionic polymer; and c) optionally, reacting said carbanionic polymer with a terminating compound that comprises a functional group capable of reacting with carbanionic polymers.