Adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers at the silica-water interface

Interaction of Cationic, Anionic, and Nonionic Macroraft Homo- and Copolymers with Laponite Clay

The functionalization of Laponite RD platelets with different cationic, anionic, and nonionic homo- and copolymers synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) has been investigated. The effective interaction of the macromolecular RAFT agents (macroRAFTs) with the inorganic particles is known to be of crucial importance for the successful coating of minerals with polymers via RAFT-mediated emulsion polymerization to produce polymer-encapsulated inorganic particles. The macroRAFT agents synthesized in the present work contain carefully selected reinitiating R groups, which bear either ionizable tertiary amine or quaternary ammonium moieties (from 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, DMAEMA), negatively charged acrylic acid (AA) repeat units, or neutral polyethylene glycol (PEG) side chains, and are capable of interacting with Laponite via different adsorption mechanisms. The equilibrium adsorption of these RAFT (co)polymers was investigated by the plotting of adsorption isotherms, and either L-type or H-type curves were obtained. The hydrophobicity of the macroRAFT was shown to promote adsorption, as did the pending configuration of the PEG block. Charge repulsion between AA and the negatively charged surface of Laponite at pH 7.5, on the other hand, was prejudicial for adsorption, while the strong electrostatic interaction between the cationic DMAEMA molecules and the Laponite surface led to high-affinity-type curves.

Adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-containing amphiphilic polymers on solid-liquid interfaces: Fundamentals and applications

The adsorption of amphiphilic molecules of varying size on solid-liquid interfaces modulates the properties of colloidal systems. Nonionic, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based amphiphilic molecules are particularly useful because of their graded hydrophobic-hydrophilic nature, which allows for adsorption on a wide array of solid surfaces. Their adsorption also results in other useful properties, such as responsiveness to external stimuli and solubilization of hydrophobic compounds. This review focuses on the adsorption properties of PEO-based amphiphiles, beginning with a discussion of fundamental concepts pertaining to the adsorption of macromolecules on solid-liquid interfaces, and more specifically the adsorption of PEO homopolymers. The main portion of the review highlights studies on factors affecting the adsorption and surface self-assembly of PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers, where PPO is poly(propylene oxide). Block copolymers of this type are commercially available and of interest in several fields, due to their low toxicity and compatibility in aqueous systems. Examples of applications relevant to the interfacial behavior of PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers are paints and coatings, detergents, filtration, and drug delivery. The methods discussed herein for manipulating the adsorption properties of PEO-PPO-PEO are emphasized for their ability to shed light on molecular interactions at interfaces. Knowledge of these interactions guides the formulation of novel materials with useful mesoscale organization and micro- and macrophase properties.

N-heterocyclic carbene-induced zwitterionic ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide and direct synthesis of alpha,omega-difunctionalized poly(ethylene oxide)s and poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) block copolymers

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), namely, 1,3-bis-(diisopropyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (1), was demonstrated to bring about the metal-free ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide at 50 degrees C in dimethyl sulfoxide, in absence of any other reagents. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) of polydispersities <1.2 and molar masses perfectly matching the [monomer]/[(1)] ratio could thus be obtained in quantitative yields, attesting to the controlled/living character of such carbene-initiated polymerizations. It is argued that (1) adds to ethylene oxide to form a zwitterionic species, namely 1,3-bis-(diisopropyl)imidazol-2-ylidinium alkoxide, that further propagates by a zwitterionic ring-opening polymerization (ZROP) mechanism. Through an appropriate choice of terminating agent NuH or NuSiMe(3) at the completion of the polymerization, a variety of end-functionalized PEO chains could be generated. In particular, alpha,omega-bis(hydroxy)-telechelic PEO, alpha-benzyl,omega-hydroxy, and alpha-azido,omega-hydroxy-difunctionalized PEOs were synthesized by NHC (1)-initiated ZROP, using H(2)O, PhCH(2)OH, and N(3)SiMe(3) as terminating agent, respectively. Characterization of these alpha,omega-difunctionalized PEOs by techniques such as (1)H NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF spectrometry, and size exclusion chromatography confirmed the quantitative introduction of functional groups at both alpha and omega positions of the PEO chains and the formation of very narrow molar mass polymers. Finally, the synthesis of a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) diblock copolymer by sequential ZROP of the corresponding monomers was successfully achieved using (1) as organic initiator without isolation of the PEO block intermediate.

Concomitant adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers and sodium dodecyl sulfate at the silica-water interface

Upon addition of silica to aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers (PEO-b-PCL) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), adsorption of the solutes occurs at the silica-water interface. The amount of the adsorbed constituents has been measured by the total concentration depletion method. Small-angle neutron scattering experiments (SANS) have been carried out to investigate the structure of the adsorbed layer. Although SDS is not spontaneously adsorbed onto hydrophilic silica, adsorption is observed in the presence of PEO-b-PCL diblocks, in relation to the relative concentration of the two compounds. Conversely, SDS has a depressive effect on the adsorption of the copolymer, whose structure at the interface is modified. Copolymer desorption is however never complete at high SDS content. These observations have been rationalized by the associative behavior of PEO-b-PCL and SDS in water.