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Preparation of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer composed of polystyrene and hydrophilic alternating copolymer blocks

Polymer Journal volume 52, pages 189–197 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Generally, conventional free-radical polymerization of an allyl monomer affords low-molecular-weight oligomers. However, since the allyl monomer can form a charge transfer complex with maleic anhydride (MA), in which the former acts as an electron donor and the latter acts as an acceptor, relatively high-molecular-weight alternating copolymers can be obtained via copolymerization of an allyl monomer and MA. In this study, hydrophilic alternating copolymers (P(11EO/MA)m) of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) allyl ether (11EO) and MA were prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-controlled radical polymerization. The alternating nature of the polymers was confirmed by the consumption of both monomers during polymerization. The MA units in P(11EO/MA)m were hydrolyzed to prepare pendant carboxylic acid group-containing polymers (P(11EO/MH)m). Furthermore, an amphiphilic diblock copolymer (P(11EO/MH)m-PSn) was prepared via RAFT copolymerization of styrene monomer using P(11EO/MH)m as a macro-chain transfer agent. The association behavior of P(11EO/MH)m-PSn in water was also investigated.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, KAKENHI (17H03071 and 16K14008) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), JSPS Bilateral Joint Research Projects, and the Cooperative Research Program of “Network Joint Research Center for Materials and Devices (20184035).”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo, 671-2280, Japan

    Maho Ohshio, Yoko Mizoue & Shin-ichi Yusa

  2. NOF Corporation, Oleo & Speciality Chemicals Research Laboratory, 56, Ohamacho 1-chome, Amagasaki, Hyogo, 660-0095, Japan

    Daijiro Shiino, Tatsuya Matsui & Kazuhiro Oda

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  1. Maho Ohshio
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Correspondence to Shin-ichi Yusa.

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Ohshio, M., Mizoue, Y., Shiino, D. et al. Preparation of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer composed of polystyrene and hydrophilic alternating copolymer blocks. Polym J 52, 189–197 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-019-0278-0

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