Issue 25, 2015

Poly(2-oxazoline) molecular brushes by grafting through of poly(2-oxazoline)methacrylates with aqueous ATRP

Abstract

Molecular brushes of poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) are an intriguing class of polymers as they combine a unique architecture with the properties of POx as a biomaterial. Here, the synthesis of several POx macromonomers with methacrylate end groups and consecutive grafting through polymerization by aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) at room temperature is reported. 1H-NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) confirmed the synthesis of POx molecular brushes with maximum side chain grafting densities, narrow molar mass distributions (Đ ≤ 1.16) and final molar masses corresponding to the initial macromonomer : initiator ratio. Chain extension experiments show high end group fidelity and formation of block copolymer molecular brushes, and kinetic studies revealed a polymerization behavior of oligo(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) methacrylate very similar to the frequently used oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA475). Aqueous solutions of POx molecular brushes with poly(2-ethyl- and 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) side chains exhibit the typically defined thermoresponsive behavior with a tunable, very narrow and reversible phase transition.

Graphical abstract: Poly(2-oxazoline) molecular brushes by grafting through of poly(2-oxazoline)methacrylates with aqueous ATRP

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Apr 2015
Accepted
13 May 2015
First published
14 May 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Polym. Chem., 2015,6, 4678-4689

Author version available

Poly(2-oxazoline) molecular brushes by grafting through of poly(2-oxazoline)methacrylates with aqueous ATRP

D. Gieseler and R. Jordan, Polym. Chem., 2015, 6, 4678 DOI: 10.1039/C5PY00561B

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