By utilizing features of the hemiacetal ester (HAE) bond: easy formation from vinyl ether and carboxylic acid and easy cleavage into different functional groups (-COOH and -OH), we achieved control of the alternating sequence of two functional pendant groups of a vinyl copolymer. Methacrylate- and acrylate-based vinyl groups were connected through HAE bonds to prepare a cleavable divinyl monomer, which was cyclo-polymerized under optimized conditions in a ruthenium-catalyzed living radical polymerization. Subsequent cleavage of the HAE bonds in the resultant cyclo-pendant led to a copolymer consisting of alternating methacrylic acid and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate units as analyzed by C NMR spectroscopy. The alternating sequence of -COOH and -OH pendants specifically provided a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in an ether solvent, which was not observed with the random copolymer of same composition ratio.

Cyclopolymerization of a divinyl monomer, where two different vinyl groups, that is, acrylate and vinyl ether, are connected via an ester bond, was performed under diluted condition with nitroxide-meditated radical polymerization (NMP). Both vinyl groups were consumed at almost same rate under suitable condition, although the inherent cross-propagation ability between the two vinyl groups are pretty low in radical copolymerization. Furthermore, the polymerization was controlled to some extent to give polymers of unimodal molecular weight distributions. The results obviously differed from copolymerization and homopolymerization with vinyl monomers that constitutes the divinyl monomer, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate and 2-acetoxyethyl vinyl ether. Structural analyses indicated formation of the cyclopolymer but the cyclo-efficiency was imperfect indicating that some units of olefinic dangling were incorporated. Eventually, the ester bonds of the cyclo units were cleaved to convert into the copolymer consisting of acrylic acid and 2-hydroxy ethyl vinyl ether and the composition ratio (DP acryl /DP VE ) was 55:45. The copolymer showed higher glass transition temperature than that estimated from the composition ratio and T g values of the homopolymers, which is likely due to the formation of quasi-cyclopolymer between carboxylic acid and hydroxy groups aligned in alternating fashion.

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By utilizing features of the hemiacetal ester (HAE) bond: easy formation from vinyl ether and carboxylic acid and easy cleavage into different functional groups (‐COOH and ‐OH), we achieved control of the alternating sequence of two functional pendant groups of a vinyl copolymer. Methacrylate‐ and acrylate‐based vinyl groups were connected through HAE bonds to prepare a cleavable divinyl monomer, which was cyclo‐polymerized under optimized conditions in a ruthenium‐catalyzed living radical polymerization. Subsequent cleavage of the HAE bonds in the resultant cyclo‐pendant led to a copolymer consisting of alternating methacrylic acid and 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate units as analyzed by 13C NMR spectroscopy. The alternating sequence of ‐COOH and ‐OH pendants specifically provided a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in an ether solvent, which was not observed with the random copolymer of same composition ratio.