Poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) as a versatile platform towards thermoresponsive copolymers. Issue 25 (31st May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jerca, Florica Adriana; Jerca, Valentin Victor; Anghelache, Alina Maria; Vuluga, Dumitru Mircea; Hoogenboom, Richard
• Is Part Of: Polymer chemistry. Volume 9:Issue 25(2018)
• Page Start: 3473
• Page End: 3478
• Publication Date: 2018-05-31
• Subjects: Polymers -- Periodicals; Macromolecules -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1039/c8py00612a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1759-9954

Abstract

Abstract : Thermoresponsive (co)polymers with LCST behavior based on a well-defined PiPOx scaffold showing high versatility in tuning up the T CP as well as the interval of response. Abstract : The present study describes the synthesis of thermoresponsive polymers with tailorable properties using a simple, straightforward and robust polymer modification approach. Herein, we first report a simple strategy to obtain poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPOx) polymers with narrow distribution by controlled living anionic polymerization initiated with commercially available n -butyllithium. Further on, the well-defined PiPOx polymer is reacted with four aliphatic acids by a partial ring-opening reaction of the pendant 2-oxazoline side chains, thus enabling access to a large structural diversity of statistical (co)polymers with LCST behavior. Depending on the final PiPOx copolymer composition and the hydrophobic character of the side-chain functionalities, the cloud point temperatures ( T CP ) of the resulting PiPOx copolymers span the entire liquid water temperature scale (5 °C to 97 °C). As such, this work opens up the use of PiPOx as a highly versatile platform for advanced smart materials as the retained 2-oxazoline side chains can be further modified to introduce functionalities.