Synthesis of pH- and thermo-responsive poly (epsilon-caprolactone-b-4-vinyl benzyl-g-dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate) brush type graft copolymers via RAFT polymerization

A novel pH-and thermo-responsive poly (epsilon-caprolactone-b-4-vinyl benzyl-g-2-(dimethyl amino ethyl) methacrylate), poly (CL-b-VB-g-DMAEMA), brush type copolymer has been described. In this study, a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, 1,2-propanediol- 3-ethyl xanthogenate, was obtained through the reaction of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol with potassium salt of ethyl xanthogenate. Poly (CL-b-VB) block copolymer was synthesized in one-pot polymerization of e-caprolactone (CL) and 4-vinyl benzyl chloride (VB) using a new dual macro-RAFT agent. In the second step of the work, chloride side groups of poly-VB in poly (CL-b-VB) block copolymer were reacted with potassium salt of ethyl xanthogenate to obtain another novel macro-RAFT agent, poly (CL-b-VB)-g-xanthate (PCL-PVB-Xa). Controlled free radical living polymerization of 2-(dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate (DMAEMA) was initiated with this PCL-VB-Xa macro-RAFT agent to obtain new poly (CL-b-VB-g-DMAEMA) comb type pH-and thermo-responsive heterograft copolymer. The homopolymer was soluble in water at pH=10-11 and not soluble at pH=12.5. A pH-sensitive feature of the brush type graft copolymer was observed between pH9.4 and 11.5 in view of their swelling/solution properties depending on the acrylic polymer inclusion. The LCST values of the multiblock brush type copolymers were found to be as low as 42.8 degrees C, while that of PDMAEMA homopolymer was 46.6 degrees C. The characterization of the products was achieved using gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), thermal, and spectrometric analysis techniques. pH- and thermo-responsiveness of the copolymers were verified by surface tension and zeta potential measurements.