RAFT Synthesis in Water of Cationic Polyelectrolytes with Tunable UCST.

Authors :: Cao X
An Z
Source :: Macromolecular rapid communications [Macromol Rapid Commun] 2015 Dec; Vol. 36 (23), pp. 2107-10. Date of Electronic Publication: 2015 Sep 24.
Publication Year :: 2015
Abstract: Cationic polyelectrolytes showing an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) are synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in water at a temperature well above the UCST. The polymerization is well controlled by the RAFT process, with excellent pseudo-first-order kinetics. The cloud point is highly dependent on the polyelectrolyte concentration, molecular weight, and presence of added electrolyte. Alkylation of a neutral polymer is also conducted to obtain polyelectrolytes with different hydrophobic groups, which are shown to increase the cloud point.<br /> (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)