Poly(methacrylic acid)-l-Polyisobutylene: A Novel Polyelectrolyte Amphiphilic Conetwork

Abstract

For the first time, a reliable procedure for synthesizing new acidic polyelectrolyte-containing amphiphilic conetworks (APCNs), poly(methacrylic acid)-l-polyisobutylene (PMAA-l-PIB), is described. The thorough characterization of the synthesis products is also presented through elemental analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and basic swelling studies. Three series of APCNs were successfully synthesized in wide composition ranges by the macromonomer method using exact bifunctional methacrylate-telechelic PIB cross-linkers (MA−PIB−MA) of three different molecular weights (Mn): 2000, 5000, and 13000. The MA−PIB−MA macromolecular cross-linkers were prepared via quasiliving carbocationic polymerization. To prevent phase separation and thus insufficient network formation during synthesis, the conetworks were synthesized by thermally initiated free radical copolymerization of MA−PIB−MA and trimethylsilyl methacrylate, a hydrophobized precursor of methacrylic acid. After the next critical synthetic...