Thermo-responsive, UV-active poly(phenyl acrylate)-b-poly(diethyl acrylamide) block copolymers
Z. J. Wang, B. H. Lessard, M. Maric
Vol. 7., No.12., Pages 1020-1029, 2013
DOI: 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2013.100
DOI: 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2013.100
Corresponding author: M. Maric 
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
The homopolymerization of phenyl acrylate (PA) was investigated for the first time by nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP) with the succinimidyl form of the SG1-based unimolecular initiator 2-[N-tert-butyl-2,2-(dimethylpropyl)-aminooxy]propionic acid (BlocBuilder MA). The control of PPA homopolymerization was improved by the use of 15 mol% additional free nitroxide SG1 ([tert-butyl[1-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-2,2-dimethylpropyl]amino]oxidanyl) and dispersities, Mw/Mn, of around 1.2 were achieved. A PPA homopolymer was then successfully chain-extended with diethyl acrylamide (DEAAm) to form a block copolymer of PPA-b-PDEAAm where the PDEAAm segment is thermo-responsive, while the PPA block is potentially UV-active. The thermo-responsive behavior of the block copolymer in 0.5 wt% aqueous solution was studied by UV-Vis spectrometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS), indicating cloud point temperatures of 26–30°C, close to that reported for PDEAAm homopolymers.
