RUBBER WITH BACKBONE AND END-GROUP FUNCTIONALIZATION

Novel functionalized rubbers having low hysteresis and good compatibility with fillers, such as carbon black and silica, have been synthesized. These functionalized rubbers, including functionalized polybutadiene rubber and functionalized styrene-butadiene rubber, can be beneficially used in making a wide variety of rubber products that have enhanced physical properties. These improved properties are realized because the functional groups therein improve compatibility with reinforcing fillers that are typically included in such rubber compounds. These functionalized rubbers are comprised of polymer chains of the structural formula: wherein Polydiene represents a polymer chain which is comprised of at least one diene monomer and wherein Rand Rcan be the same or different and represent alkyl groups containing form 1 to 8 carbon atoms. These rubbers can also be functionally terminated with a silicon containing terminator.