The synthesis and aqueous solution properties of sulfobutylbetaine (co)polymers: comparison of synthetic routes and tuneable upper critical solution temperatures

With an additional methyl group in the ion bridge, sulfobutylbetaine (co)polymers show significantly higher UCSTs than their more common sulfopropylbetaine counterparts making them a promising class of smart materials.

RAFT dispersion polymerization of 3-phenylpropyl methacrylate with poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] macro-CTAs in ethanol and associated thermoreversible polymorphism

The direct synthesis of methacrylic-based soft polymeric nanoparticles via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer dispersion polymerization (RAFTDP) is described. The use of poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]s, of varying average degree of polymerization (X¯n), as the stabilizing blocks for the RAFTDP of 3-phenylpropyl methacrylate (PPMA) in ethanol at 70 °C, at various total solids contents, yielded the full spectrum of self-assembled nanoparticles (spherical and worm aggregates and polymersomes). We also demonstrate that nanoparticle morphology can be tuned simply by controlling temperature. This is especially evident in the case of worm aggregates undergoing a thermoreversible transition to spherical species - a process that is accompanied by a macroscopic degelation-gelation process.

Combining ring-opening metathesis polymerization and thiol-ene coupling chemistries: facile access to novel functional linear and nonlinear macromolecules

The aim of this article is to highlight recent examples in which two powerful synthetic tools, namely ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and thiol-ene (including the thiol-Michael variant) click chemistry have been combined to facilitate the preparation of novel functional materials of varying topology.

ROMP (co)polymers with pendent alkyne side groups: post-polymerization modification employing thiol–yne and CuAAC coupling chemistries

The synthesis of a series of copolymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) containing pendent trimethylsilyl-protected alkyne functional groups is described.

Polymerization-induced self-assembly: ethanolic RAFT dispersion polymerization of 2-phenylethyl methacrylate

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical dispersion polymerization (RAFTDP) has been employed to polymerize 2-phenylethyl methacrylate (PEMA) using poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) macromolecular chain transfer agents (macro-CTAs) of varying average degree of polymerization (X̄_n).

Mechano-responsive polymer solutions based on CO2 supersaturation: shaking-induced phase transitions and self-assembly or dissociation of polymeric nanoparticles

Shaking solutions of tailored (co)polymers in soda water is shown to induce precipitation, nanoparticle formation, or polymer or nanoparticle dissolution.

Thiol–ene “click” reactions and recent applications in polymer and materials synthesis: a first update

This contribution serves as an update to a previous review (Polym. Chem.2010,1, 17–36) and highlights recent applications of thiol–ene ‘click’ chemistry as an efficient tool for both polymer/materials synthesis as well as modification.

Functional α,ω-dienes via thiol-Michael chemistry: synthesis, oxidative protection, acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization and radical thiol–ene modification

The synthesis of the novel α,ω-diene 2-(undec-10-en-1-yl)tridec-12-en-1-yl acrylate is described.