Synthesis of organic-inorganic polymer hybrids utilizing in-situ anionic hydrogen-transfer polymerization of acrylamide

Abstract

Homogeneous polymer hybrid consisting of poly(β-alanine) and silica gel was synthesized by an in-situ anionic polymerization method. Acrylamide (AAm) as an organic monomer was introduced into a sol–gel reaction of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). The polymerization of AAm was initiated by potassium tert-butoxide (t-BuOK), while sol–gel reaction of TMOS proceeded to generate a silica gel matrix. The obtained polymer hybrid was optically transparent and no phase separation was observed by SEM measurement. From the 1H and 13C NMR analysis, the anionic polymerization of AAm proceeded via a hydrogen-transfer process under in-situ hybridization conditions.