Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) based materials and nanocomposites: stimuli responsive characteristics and applications

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This state-of-the-art manuscript highlights design-characteristics-performance aspects of an eminent stimuli responsive (thermo-pH) thermoplastic polymer, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam). In view of that, multifunctional block/graft copolymers, blends, and nanocomposites of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) have been conversed as per literature reports so far. Free radical polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam, an organo-soluble monomer, has been widely adopted for synthesizing poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), its polymeric derivatives, and hybrids. For nanocompositing purposes, carbon nanoparticles (carbon nanotube, graphene) and inorganic nanoparticles (metal nanoparticles, nanoclays) reinforcements have been documented. The ensuing block/graft copolymers of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) and the consequent nanocomposites (poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)/graphene/graphene oxide, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)/carbon nanotube, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)/gold/silver nanoparticles, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)/nanoclays) revealed notable scientific features, such as morphological variations, dispersion/miscibility effects, lower critical solution temperature, thermo-pH sensitivity, thermal stability, mechanical properties, fluorescence, and so on. Incidentally, poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) based polymeric analogs and hybrids seemed to be technically advantageous for high end applications in the fields of water remediation (heavy metal ions, dyes, salts, etc., removal), sensing devices (temperature/pH/light/ion sensing), and drug delivery (drug loading/transfusion) systems. Nevertheless, owing to limited research hitherto, concentrated future endeavors systematically exploring essential nanocomposite categories and applied sides of stimuli sensitive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) derivatives and nanomaterials seemed to be indispensable to unveil well-defined designs, structure-property-performance links, mechanism analyses, and handy fabrication tactics to attain topnotch poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) materials/nanomaterials.