Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out using CuCl/2,2'-bipyridine as catalyst system and dodecylbenzene sulfonyl chloride (DBSC), synthesized from sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, as initiator. It was found that a controlled radical polymerization process was involved.ATRP of t-butyl methacrylate (t-BMA) using the same initiator and catalyst as that for MMA was also found to involve a living radical polymerization process with the initiation efficiency being higher than that observed for MMA. By hydrolysis of poly(t-butyl methacrylate) P(t-BMA), an amphiphilic polymer with hydrophobic dodecylphenyl groups and hydrophilic polymethacrylic acid segments was obtained.Addition of the amphiphilic polymer to water resulted in a significant decrease in surface tension.