Synthesis of poly(di[methylamine]ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate)-b-poly(di[methylamine]ethyl methacrylate) amphiphilic triblock copolymers by ATRP: Condensed-phase and solution properties

Abstract

The synthesis of amphiphilic triblock copolymers, poly(di[methylamine]ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate)-b-poly(di[methylamine]ethyl methacrylate) PDMAE-b-PCH-b-PDMAE, has been performed by atom transfer radical polymerisation. Those have been obtained in a well-controlled manner in terms of molecular weight and polydispersity index. The triblock copolymer characterisation has been made in condensed state and in solution. The existence of microphase separation has been confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. However, the domains of both inner and outer blocks seem not to be ordered for one another from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements using synchrotron radiation. The micelle formation in dilute methanol solutions has been confirmed for all triblock copolymers by dynamic light scattering analyses. The size of these micelles has been demonstrated to be dependent on the molecular weight. Similar observations have been made in concentrate methanol solutions by using SAXS experiments, pointed also out that an increment of the intermicelle interactions is produced as the concentration increases. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 85–92, 2008