Conformation, Self-Organization and Thermoresponsibility of Polymethacrylate Molecular Brushes with Oligo(ethylene glycol)-block-oligo(propylene glycol) Side Chains.

Maria Simonova,Oleg Kazantsev,Maria Nepomnyashaya,Denis Kamorin,Alexander Filippov

doi:10.3390/polym13162715

Abstract

Polymethacrylic molecular brushes with oligo(ethylene glycol)-block-oligo(propylene glycol) side chains were investigated by static and dynamic light scattering and viscometry. The solvents used were acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and water. The grafted copolymers were molecularly dispersed and dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile. In these solvents, the molar masses of copolymers were determined. In thermodynamically good solvents, namely tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile, investigated copolymers have a high intramolecular density and the shape of their molecules resembles a star-shaped macromolecule. In chloroform and water, the micelle-like aggregates were formed. Critical micelle concentrations decreased with the lengthening of the hydrophobic block. Molecular brushes demonstrated thermosensitive behavior in aqueous solutions. The phase separation temperatures reduced with an increase in the content of the oligo(propylene glycol) block.

Highlights

IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
For all samples of polyOEGeOPGpMA, the molar masses, hydrodynamic radii of the macromolecules, and intrinsic viscosities determined by the static light scattering method (SLS) (Photocor Instruments Inc, Moscow, Russia) and Gel permeation chromatography (GPC)
Molecular brushes polyOEGeOPGpMA were investigated by the methods of molecular hydrodynamics and optics in dilute solutions in acetonitrile, THF, chloroform, and water

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Polymers with complex architecture attract a significant amount of attention due to the wide possibilities of regulating their characteristics by the variation of the structure and the architecture parameters [1,2]. In the case of molecular brushes, these parameters are the chemical structure of the backbone and side chains, their sizes, and the grafting density of the grafted chains. The introduction of functional groups into the main and/or side chains is used. The modern synthetic approaches make it possible to obtain grafted copolymers with an ordained molecular architecture and controlled molar mass

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