Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly under Compressed CO2 : Control of Morphology Using a CO2 -Responsive MacroRAFT Agent

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2019 Jan;40(2):e1800335. doi: 10.1002/marc.201800335. Epub 2018 Sep 2.

Abstract

Polymerization-induced self-assembly of 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate is conducted in water and water/MeOH using a CO2 -responsive macroRAFT agent in the form of a statistical copolymer comprising N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (M n = 475 g mol-1 ). Pressurization with CO2 leads to protonation of DEAEMA units within the stabilizer block, thereby offering a means of adjusting the charge density of the coronal layer. It is demonstrated that a wide range of tunable particle morphologies are accessible by simply varying the CO2 pressure during polymerization in the range of 10-45 bar.

Keywords: CO2-responsive polymers; aqueous dispersion polymerization; controlled/living radical polymerization; polymerization-induced self-assembly.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic / methods
  • Methacrylates / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Models, Chemical
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polyethylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Polymerization*
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Protons
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Methacrylates
  • Polymers
  • Protons
  • polyethylene glycol methacrylate
  • Water
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • diethylaminoethyl methacrylate
  • 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate