Synthesis of (AB)_n‐, A_nB_n‐, and A_xB_y‐type amphiphilic and double‐hydrophilic star copolymers by RAFT polymerization

Abstract

The synthesis, characterization, and postpolymerization functionalization of star copolymers by RAFT polymerization, using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the difunctional monomer for core formation via crosslinking, is presented in this work. The “arm first” approach was used for the synthesis of PDMAEMAnPOEGMAn double‐hydrophilic mikto‐arm stars and PDMAEMAxPLMAy amphiphilic miktoarm stars, while the “core first” approach was used for the synthesis of (PDMAEMA‐b‐POEGMA)n double‐hydrophilic star block copolymers. Methyl iodide was used as the quaternizing agent for the transformation of the star copolymers into strong cationic star polyelectrolytes, through reaction on the dimethylamino groups of PDMAEMA blocks. The stars were characterized at the molecular level by SEC and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Preliminary light scattering experiments, using THF and H2O as the solvents, were performed in order to get information regarding the solution behavior of the novel star copolymers synthesized. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1771–1783

Playing construction with the monomer toy box for the synthesis of multi‐stimuli responsive copolymers by reversible deactivation radical polymerization protocols

“…A great deal of research on MSR polymers is based on manipulating commercial monomers into specific combinations, architectures, and morphologies 97 . In a recent work, Skandalis and Pispas 203 combined a limited number of simple components (DMAEMA, OEGMA, LMA, and a crosslinker) into miktoarm star or star‐block architectures by arranging sequential polymerizations and crosslinking reaction in an “arms first” or “core first” sequence. Although their work does not deal with multiple responsivity, its fundamental logic should be taken into account toward obtaining diverse multi‐stimuli‐responsive structures through strategy rather than through complex synthons.…”

Double hydrophilic copolymers – synthetic approaches, architectural variety, and current application fields

“…36 Therefore, the corresponding architectures presenting solely hydrophilic segments, e.g. , star, 37 graft, hyperbranched 38 or macrocyclic, 8 are closely related to the class of linear DHBCs.…”

Synthesis of a hydrosoluble reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer agent and application in the preparation of micro/nano‐polyacrylamide gel dispersions

“…Compared with other controllable/living free radical polymerization methods, RAFT polymerization has advantages such as controlled molecular weight, mild reaction conditions, and narrow dispersity 11,12 . So, RAFT polymerization has been widely used, 13–15 especially the preparation of microgels 16,17 …”