Abstract
Autocatalytic self-sorting in the biomimetic poly(cystamine methacrylamide hydrochloride) (PCysMA) is presented, whose units comprise lysine-mimetic alkylammonium ions and cystine-mimetic alkyl disulfide spacers. The block copolymer with poly(2-hydroxypropylmethacrylamide) was synthesized directly by RAFT in acidic water under visible light irradiation at 25 °C. Disulfide exchange can be initiated by the terminal thiolates as generated by alkalization-induced aminolysis. 65–67% CysMA units sort into hydrophobic polymer disulfides and water-soluble cystamine at pH 10.5. Moreover, intermediate reactions occur in the presence of copper ions, i.e., Cu(II)–NH2 coordination, aminolysis, NH2-to-SH substitution, and cupric-to-cuprous reduction in metal centers, thus autocatalytic self-sorting with essentially 100% conversion at pH 8.8. UV–vis spectroscopy, 1H NMR, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and elemental analysis confirmed this ideal self-sorting. Dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy identifi...
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