Synthesis and properties of amphiphilic copolymers of butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate with uniform polyoxyethylene grafts

Amphiphilic copolymers of butyl acrylate (BA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) with uniform polyoxyethylene (PEO) grafts were synthesized by the copolymerization of BA and MMA with a methacrylate‐terminated PEO macromer in benzene with azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The effects of various copolymerization conditions on the grafting efficiency and molecular weight of the copolymers, as well as the effect of the copolymerization time on the conversions of the macromer and the monomers, were reported. The copolymers, with uniform PEO grafts, were purified by successive extractions with water and ether/acetone (3/7) to remove unreacted macromer and ungrafted copolymers of MMA and BA, respectively. The purified graft copolymers were characterized with IR, ¹H‐NMR, membrane osmometry, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The highest grafting efficiency was about 90%, and molecular weight of the copolymers varied around 10⁵. The average grafting number of the copolymer was about 10. A study of the crystalline properties, emulsifying properties, phase‐transfer catalytic ability, and mechanical properties of the graft copolymers showed that the emulsifying volume decreased with the increasing molecular weight of the PEO grafts but increased with the PEO content. The conversion of potassium phenolate in the Williamson solid–liquid reaction obviously increased with an increasing PEO content of the graft copolymers. The crystallinity of the graft copolymers increased with the PEO content of the graft copolymers or the molecular weight of the macromer used. The copolymers, prepared under certain conditions, behaved as thermoplastic elastomers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2982–2988, 2003     

Graft copolymers from commercial chlorinated polypropylene via Cu(0)‐mediated atom transfer radical polymerization

Commercially available chlorinated polypropylene has been used as a macroinitiator for the Cu(0)‐mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and tert‐butyl acrylate to obtain well‐defined graft copolymers. The relatively narrow molecular weight distribution in the graft copolymers and linear kinetic plots indicated the controlled nature of the copolymerization reactions. Both Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR studies confirmed that the graft reactions had taken place successfully. After graft copolymer formation, tert‐butyl groups of poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) side chains were completely converted into poly(acrylic acid) chains to afford corresponding amphiphilic graft copolymers. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto guar gum

The graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto guar gum (GOH) was carried out by a peroxydiphosphate (PDP)–silver(I) system. Grafting ratio, efficiency, add‐on, and conversion increase upon increasing the concentration of PDP and acrylic acid, whereas they decrease upon increasing the concentration of guar gum. Upon increasing the concentration of silver and hydrogen ions up to 2.0 × 10⁻³ and 4.87 × 10⁻² mol dm⁻³, respectively, the grafting ratio and efficiency increase but decrease upon further increasing the concentration. The increase in temperature from 30 to 45°C increases the grafting ratio but the conversion efficiency decreases. The optimum time period for graft copolymerization was found to be 2 h. The graft copolymers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 39–44, 2000     

Synthesis and properties of unsaturated polyoxyethylene and its graft copolymers with styrene

The unsaturated polyoxyethylene (PEO) was synthesized by copolymerization of ethylene oxide with allyl glycidyl ether in toluene using bimetallic-oxo-alkoxide as a catalyst. The effects of polymerization conditions on conversion and intrinsic viscosity of the copolymer were studied. The unsaturated copolymer was characterized with infrared spectra, ¹H NMR, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The relationship between crystallinity of the copolymers and conductivity of their LiClO₄ complexes were investigated. The copolymer with ∼ 65 wt % PEO content exhibits a room temperature conductivity of 1 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at a molar ratio of EO/Li = 20. The unsaturated PEO was graft-copolymerized with styrene using 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator in toluene, with grafting efficiency ∼ 50%. The purified graft copolymer was characterized with infrared spectra, ¹H NMR, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and was shown to have good emulsifying properties and a phase-transfer catalytic property. LiClO₄ complex of the graft copolymer with 70 wt % PEO content exhibits a room temperature conductivity approaching 1 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at molar ratio of EO/Li = 20/1. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 2417–2425, 1998     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of amphiphilic poly(ethyl acrylate) with uniform polyoxyethylene grafts

Amphiphilic copolymers of ethyl acrylate (EA) with uniform polyoxyethylene (PEO) grafts were synthesized by copolymerization of EA with methacrylate terminated PEO macromer in benzene using azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator. The effects of the molecular weight of the macromers, the charging weight ratio of the macromer to EA, the total monomer concentration, and the amount of initiator on the grafting efficiency (GE) were reported as was the molecular weight of the copolymers. The highest GE reached to above 90% and the molecular weight of the copolymers varied from (5–15) × 10⁴. The reactivity ratio of EA with the macromer was determined to be 0.83. The graft copolymers were purified with extractions and the purified products were characterized with IR, ¹H‐NMR, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and membrane osmometry. The average grafting number of the copolymer varied from 2 to 11. The glass‐transition temperature of the poly(EA) in the copolymer was increased because of the partial compatibility of the two components. The crystalline property, emulsifying property, and dilute solution viscosity of the graft copolymers, as well as ionic conductivity of their complexes with alkali metal salts, were studied. The emulsifying volume decreased with the increasing molecular weight of the PEO grafts. The addition of NaOH to the emulsion affected the emulsifying volume only slightly, whereas the addition of HCl changed the oil in water type emulsion into a water in oil type. The conductivity of the LiClO₄ complex of the copolymer with an oxyethylene/Li ratio of 20 reached 3.7 × 10^?5 S/cm at 27°C. The lower the crystallinity of the complex, the higher was the conductivity. The dilute solution viscosity showed the existence of intramolecular microphase separation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 903–912, 2001     

Synthesis of graft copolymer polyethylene‐ graft‐poly(ethylene oxide) by a new anionic graft‐from polymerization

A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers, PE‐graft‐PEO, containing hydrophobic polyethylene (PE) as the backbone and hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the side‐chain, have been synthesized by a novel route. The graft structure and the molecular weight, as well as the molecular weight distribution of the graft copolymer can easily be controlled. The molecular weight of the side‐chain PEO is proportional to the reaction time and the monomer concentration, which indicates the ‘living’ character of the anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide. The produced copolymers PE‐graft‐PEO were characterized by ¹H NMR and DSC measurements. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of water‐soluble polyphenol‐graft‐poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers via enzymatic polymerization and anionic polymerization

Water‐soluble polyphenol‐graft‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PPH‐g‐PEO) copolymers were prepared using grafting‐through methodology. Polyphenol chains were synthesized via enzymatic polymerization of phenols, and the graft chains were synthesized via living anionic polymerization of ethylene oxides. The polymers were characterized using gel permeation chromatography, static light scattering and ¹H NMR, infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopies. The PPH‐g‐PEO graft copolymers are soluble in several common solvents, such as water, ethanol, N,N‐dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran and methylene dichloride. The solubility of the PPH‐g‐PEO graft copolymers is improved significantly compared with that of polyphenol. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Competitive Removal of Heavy Metal Ions by Starch-Graft-Acrylic Acid Copolymers

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto starch was carried out with ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The structures of the synthesized graft copolymers were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The grafting percentages (GP%) of starch-graft-acrylic acid (S-g-AA) copolymers were determined. Increasing the molar concentration of AA from 0.1 to 0.5 mol/L caused a significant increase in the GP%. The effect of GP% of S-g-AA copolymers on the competitive removal of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ ions from aqueous solution was investigated at pH 4.5. The concentrations of each ion in aqueous solution were equal to each other, which were kept constant at 4 mmol/L. Metal ion removal capacities were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Metal ion removal capacities of S-g-AA copolymers rose with the increase in GP% of the copolymers and the order of the removal of heavy metal ions was Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺.     

Solid Polymer Electrolyte Complexes of Polyoxyethylene-Containing Star-Shaped Block Copolymers and Copolymers with Uniform Grafts

Ionic conductivities of salt complexes of polyoxyethylene (PEO)-containing star-shaped block copolymers and copolymers with uniform grafts were measured. The results were compared with the thermal characteristics and crystallinity of the complexes obtained from DSC and WAXD analysis. The conductivity increases with PEO content of the copolymers, more noticeably at PEO contents over 50%. For the complexes of the star-shaped block copolymers of styrene (S) and ethylene oxide (EO), conductivity decreases in the following order of salts: KCNS > NH₄CNS > NaCNS. The room temperature conductivity of the KCNS complex with EO/K ratio = 20 can reach a value of 2 × 10^?5 S cm^?1 at 57% PEO content of the copolymer. The complex with FeCl₂ displays a conductivity even higher than that of the NaCNS complex. Addition of γ-butyrolactone reduces the crystallinity and enhances markedly the ionic conductivity. For complexes of the copolymers with uniform PEO grafts the conductivity decreases in the following order of salts: KCNS > LiClO₄ > FeCl₂. Complexes with LiClO₄ exhibit a maximum conductivity at EO/Li = 20. For different kinds of copolymers with uniform PEO grafts, conductivity of the complexes increases in the order: PS-g-PEO < PMMA-g-PEO < polymethyl acrylate-g-PEO.     

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto caesarweed fibers by cerric ion–toluene redox pair

The graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto caesarweed fibers in aqueous media by cerric ion–toluene redox pair has been investigated. The percentage graft increased and then decreased with cerric ion concentration ranging from 8.3 to 100.0 × 10^?3 M with a peak value of 17%. The effects of toluene, substituted toluenes, acids, and acrylic acid were examined. The percentage graft increased and then decreased with toluene concentration with an optimum value of 53% at 18.0 × 10^?4 M toluene. Under identical reaction conditions, the percentage graft after 30 min for the graft polymerization initiated by substituted toluenes are in the order of p-toluene sulfonic acid > toluene > p-Xylene ? o-toluidine. Low concentrations of acetic acid were favorable to the graft polymerization. The percentage graft increased linearly with acrylic acid concentration reaching a value of 53% at 1.39 M acrylic acid. The presence of neutral salts had nominal effects on the percentage graft. The effect of temperature was investigated between 20 and 60°C. The percentage graft increased with temperature up to 40°C but showed a negative temperature dependence beyond 40°C. The calculated activation energy was 6.2 kcal mol^?1. Characterization of the physical properties of the grafted fibers was also conducted. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Associative properties of perfluorooctyl end‐functionalized polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers

The synthesis of 2,2,3,3‐tetrahydro‐perfluoroundecanoyl end‐functionalized polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) block (PS‐block‐PEO‐R_F) copolymers and their matching PS‐block‐PEO diblock copolymers was carried out by sequential anionic polymerization. Viscometry and ¹⁹F NMR studies show that the PS‐block‐PEO copolymers, in contrast to their matching PS‐block‐PEO‐R_F copolymers, exhibit a micellar rather than the associative behavior seen for the latter. However, the presence of an excess of fluorinated acid, used for end‐functionalization, produces a reduction of the associative behavior above the overlap concentration, with the fluorinated acid acting like a surfactant. A competition may also occur between PS—and R_F—mediated micellization. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Competitive removal of nickel (II), cobalt (II), and zinc (II) ions from aqueous solutions by starch‐graft‐acrylic acid copolymers

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto starch was carried out with ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting percentages (GP%) of starch‐graft‐acrylic acid (St‐g‐AA) copolymers were determined. The effect of GP% of St‐g‐AA copolymers on the competitive removal of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solution was investigated at different pH (2, 4, 6). The concentrations of each ion in aqueous solution 5 mmol/L. Effects of various parameters such as treatment time, initial pH of the solution and grafting percentage of starch graft copolymers were investigated. Metal ion removal capacities of St‐g‐AA copolymers increased with GP% of the copolymers and pH. The results show that the removal of metal ions followed as given in the order Co²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Zn²⁺. In this study, metal ion removal capacities were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto starch using potassium permanganate acid (redox system)

Graft polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto rice starch using postassium permanganate/acid redox system as initiator was investigated. When starch was reacted with KMnO₄ solution, MnO₂ was deposited onto starch. The dependence of MnO₂ amount deposited was directly related to KMnO₄ concentration. Subjecting the MnO₂-containing starch to a solution consisting of monomer (AA) and acid (citric, tartaric, oxalic and hydrochloric acid) formed poly(AA)–starch graft copolymers. The graft yield, expressed as meq COOH/100 g starch, was measured by the amount of MnO₂ deposited, AA concentration, material-to-liquor ratio, kind and concentration of acid, as well as temperature and duration. Finally, the newly prepared poly(AA)–starch graft copolymers were applied to cotton textiles to determine their suitability as sizing agents. The highest graft yield was obtained with citric acid and the least with hydrochloric acid, with tartaric and oxalic acid in between. The graft yield increased by increasing the concentration of acid to a certain concentration beyond which grafting leveled off. A similar trend was observed when the magnitude of grafting was related to the amount of MnO₂ deposited. The graft yield increased by increasing the polymerization temperature from 30° to 50°C. Increasing the temperature to 60°C is accompanied by decreased grafting. On the other hand, fabric samples sized with poly(AA)–starch graft copolymers acquire higher tensile strength, elongation at break, and abrasion resistance than that sized with native rice starch, i.e., poly(AA)–starch graft copolymers serve as good sizing agents for cotton textiles. A tentative mechanism for grafting rice starch with AA using the KMnO₄/acid redox system was elucidated. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of poly(acrylic acid)-g-polystyrene copolymer by successive ATRP

A series of well-defined amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid) backbone and hydrophobic polystyrene side chains were synthesized by hydrolysis of poly(methyl acrylate)-g-polystyrene under basic condition. The backbone and the side chains were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), so the molecular weight could be tuned by the variation of the feed ratio or monomer conversion, and the molecular weight distributions of amphiphilic graft copolymers were kept low (PDI < 1.35). The products were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The study of self-assembly behavior can benefit the formation of the well-defined structures of the products.     

Starch–acrylics graft copolymers and blends: Synthesis,characterization, and applications as matrix for drug delivery

A series of acrylic monomers–starch graft copolymers were prepared by ceric ion initiation method by varying the amount of monomers. These graft copolymers were characterized by IR and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. It was seen that as the concentration of monomer [acrylic acid (AA), methacrylic acid (MA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA)] increased the percent add‐on increased in all the graft copolymers, whereas grafting efficiency increased initially but showed a slight decrease with further increase in the monomer concentration (except for MMA). The release rate of paracetamol as a model drug from graft copolymers as well as their blends was studied at two different pH, 1.2 and 7.4, spectrophotometrically. The release of paracetamol in phosphate buffer solution at pH 1.2 was insignificant in the first 3 h for St‐g‐PAA‐ and St‐g‐PMA‐graft copolymers, which was attributed to the matrix compaction and stabilization through hydrogen bonding at lower pH. At pH 7.4, the release rate was seen to decrease with increase in add‐on. The tablet containing poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) did not disintegrate at the end of 30–32 h, which may be attributed to the hydrophobic nature of PMMA. These results indicate that the graft copolymers may be useful to overcome the harsh environment of the stomach and can be used as excipients in colon‐targeting matrices. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto xanthum gum using a potassium monopersulfate/Fe2+ redox pair

A previously unreported graft copolymer of xanthan gum (XOH) with acrylic acid was synthesized and the reaction conditions were optimized using a potassium monopersulfate (PMS)/Fe²⁺ redox pair. Grafting ratio, add on, and conversion increase with an increase in the ferrous ion concentration (2.0 × 10^?3 to 5.0 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3) and PMS concentration (1.0 × 10^?3 to 4.0 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3). It was observed that grafting takes place efficiently when the acrylic acid concentration and temperature were 5.0 × 10^?2 mol dm^?3 and 35°C, respectively. Samples of xanthan gum and xanthan gum–g–acrylic acid were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis with the objective of studying the effect of grafting of acrylic acid on the thermal stability of xanthan gum. The graft copolymer was found to be more thermally stable than xanthan gum. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1341–1346, 2003     

Starch‐graft copolymers of N‐vinylformamide and acrylamide modified with montmorillonite manufactured by reactive extrusion

Graft copolymers of potato starch with acrylamide, acrylamide, and acrylic acid or N‐vinylformamide in the presence of 1–16 wt % montmorillonite were manufactured via reactive extrusion. XRD and TEM measurements exhibited intercalated structure of clay dispersion (d001 distance up to 2.3 nm). The influence of graft polymer(s) system and montmorillonite content on thermal properties, water sorption as well as polyvalent metal cation (Cd²⁺ and Fe³⁺) sorption of obtained starch graft copolymers has been determined. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effect of acrylic acid neutralization on ‘livingness’ of poly[styrene‐ran‐(acrylic acid)] macro‐initiators for nitroxide‐mediated polymerization of styrene

BACKGROUND: The effect of acrylic acid neutralization on the degradation of alkoxyamine initiators for nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) was studied using styrene/acrylic acid and styrene/sodium acrylate random copolymers (20 mol% initial acrylate feed concentration) as macro‐initiators. The random copolymers were re‐initiated with fresh styrene in 1,4‐dioxane at 110 °C at SG1 mediator/BlocBuilder^® unimolecular initiator ratios of 5 and 10 mol%. RESULTS: The value of k_pK (k_p = propagation rate constant, K = equilibrium constant) was not significantly different for styrene/acrylic acid and styrene/sodium acrylate compositions at 110 °C (k_pK = 2.4 × 10^?6–4.6 × 10^?6 s^?1) and agreed closely with that for styrene homopolymerization at the same conditions (k_pK = 2.7 × 10^?6–3.0 × 10^?6 s^?1). All random copolymers had monomodal, narrow molecular weight distributions (polydispersity index M?_w/M?_n = 1.10–1.22) with similar number‐average molecular weights M?_n = 19.3–22.1 kg mol^?1. Re‐initiation of styrene/acrylic acid random copolymers with styrene resulted in block copolymers with broader molecular weight distributions (M?_w/M?_n = 1.37–2.04) compared to chains re‐initiated by styrene/sodium acrylate random copolymers (M?_w/M?_n = 1.33). CONCLUSIONS: Acrylic acid degradation of the alkoxyamines was prevented by neutralization of acrylic acid and allowed more SG1‐terminated chains to re‐initiate the polymerization of a second styrenic block by NMP. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and characterization of polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) amphiphilic block copolymers via atom transfer radical polymerization: Potential application as paper coating materials

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) monochloro macroinitiators or PEO telechelic macroinitiators (Cl‐PEO‐Cl) were prepared from monohydroxyfunctional or dihydroxyfunctional PEO and 2‐chloro propionyl chloride. These macroinitiators were applied to the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene (S). The polymerization was carried out in bulk at 140°C and catalyzed by Copper(I) chloride (CuCl) in the presence of 2,2′‐bipyridine (bipy) ligand (CuCl/bipy). The amphiphilic copolymers were either A‐B diblock or A‐B‐A triblock type, where A block is polystyrene (PS) and B block is PEO. The living nature of the polymerizations leads to block copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution (1.072 < M_w/M_n < 1.392) for most of the macroinitiators synthesized. The macroinitiator itself and the corresponding block copolymers were characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, and SEC analysis. By adjusting the content of the PEO blocks it was possible to prepare water‐soluble/dispersible block copolymers. The obtained block copolymers were used to control paper surface characteristics by surface treatment with small amount of chemicals. The printability of the treated paper was evaluated with polarity factors, liquid absorption measurements, and felt pen tests. The adsorption of such copolymers at the solid/liquid interface is relevant to the wetting and spreading of liquids on hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces. From our study, it is observed that the chain length of the hydrophilic block and the amount of hydrophobic block play an important role in modification of the paper surface. Among all of block copolymers synthesized, the PS‐b‐PEO‐b‐PS containing 10 wt % PS was found to retard water absorption considerably. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4304–4313, 2006     

Self-association of double-hydrophilic copolymers of acrylic acid and poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) end-capped by a methacrylate unsaturation was copolymerized with acrylic acid by RAFT with dibenzyltrithiocarbonate as a chain transfer agent. Tapered triblock copolymers consisting of a poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) inner block and comb-like outer blocks of PEO macromomers were formed as result of the comonomers reactivity ratios. Composition of these copolymers and length of the PEO branches were varied. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to characterize the aggregates formed in water and to investigate their response to stimuli, such as pH, temperature and ionic strength. In parallel, the morphology of the aggregates was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Well-defined aggregates were formed in the 5<pH<8 range, with a morphology strongly depending on the copolymer composition. At pH<5, the copolymers were poorly soluble and no well-defined structure was observed, whereas free chains were formed at pH>8 as consequence of the complete ionization of the PAA block.