Polystyrene‐Based 2‐Oxoacetates for the Light‐Induced Release of Fragrances Under Realistic Application Conditions

Abstract

AbstractLight‐sensitive 2‐oxoacetate‐derived polystyrene copolymers are investigated for the controlled release of fragrances. The stimuli‐responsive delivery systems are efficiently prepared in a two‐step reaction sequence. Simultaneous Friedel–Crafts acylation and cationic polymerization of styrene give access to 2‐oxoacetate‐derived polystyrenes in one step; the fragrance to be released is then introduced by organotin‐catalyzed transesterification in a second step. The performance of the copolymer conjugates releasing either individual fragrance raw materials or a fragrance mixture is evaluated by dynamic headspace analysis in the presence of surfactants on different substrates and compared with their non‐polymeric analogues. Direct and indirect deposition of the delivery systems onto cotton in a fabric softening application show that differences in performance are correlated with the amount of surface deposition. In the present study, the copolymer that releases a fragrance mixture performs better than the copolymers that release the corresponding fragrances individually and better than the respective non‐polymeric profragrances.