Novel temperature‐responsive water‐soluble copolymers based on 2‐hydroxyethylacrylate and vinyl butyl ether and their interactions with poly(carboxylic acids)

Abstract

Novel water-soluble amphiphilic copolymers have been synthesized by free radical copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylacrylate with vinyl butyl ether. In water these copolymers exhibit lower critical solution temperature, which depends on the content of hydrophobic vinyl butyl ether units. The interaction between these copolymers and poly(acrylic acid) or poly(methacrylic acid) in aqueous solutions results in formation of interpolymer complexes stabilized by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. An increase in hydrophobicity of the copolymers leads to the enhancement of their complex formation ability with respect to poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid). Poly-(methacrylic acid) forms stronger complexes with the copolymers when compared with poly(acrylic acid). The complexes exhibit dual sensitivity to pH-and temperature and this property may be easily adjusted regulating the strength of interaction. V V C 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 195-204, 2006

Temperature‐Responsive Water‐Soluble Copolymers Based on 2‐Hydroxyethyl Acrylate and Butyl Acrylate

“…The copolymers containing more BA undergo phase separation at lower temperatures, which is likely due to a contribution of BA units to hydrophobic interactions. Similar behaviour has been previously reported for copolymers of VBE with HEA [20] and hydrophilic vinyl ethers. [17][18][19] Complex Formation of the Synthesised Copolymers with PAA Previously, [23] we have demonstrated that the homopolymer PHEA forms hydrogen-bonded interpolymer complexes (IPCs) with PAA in aqueous solutions at low pH.…”

“…An introduction of hydrophobic groups of VBE into the structure of PHEA was shown to be a stabilising factor for the formation of hydrogen-bonded IPCs due to the contribution of hydrophobic interactions. [20] It can be expected that the HEA-co-BA copolymers should also exhibit the ability to form stronger complexes with PAA compared to the homopolymer PHEA.…”

“…Insoluble complexes are formed under acidic conditions, when pH is below the so-called critical pH of complexation (pH crit ), which was demonstrated to be a simple criterion for the estimation of the complex formation ability of polymers. [19,20] The higher pH crit values correspond to a stronger ability of polymers to form complexes. In the present work, we have determined the pH crit values for PAA/copolymer complexes by measuring the solution turbidity at different pH values and compared them with the critical pH for PAA-PHEA [ Figure 5(a)].…”

“…Previously, [20] we have reported a successful attempt to prepare novel temperature-sensitive polymers by copolymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) with vinyl butyl ether (VBE). The reactivity of VBE in copolymerisation was found to be much lower compared to HEA, therefore the copolymers consisted of relatively long sequences of HEA divided by single units of VBE.…”

Development of the composite materials based on N-(2-vinyloxyethyl)-N-(2-cyanoethyl) amine

“…Typically, such polymers are prepared using amphiphilic water-soluble monomers containing in their structure at the same time hydrophilic group and hydrophobic moieties such as, N-isopropylacrylamide, vinyl methyl ether or N-vinyl caprolactam [2].…”