Hydrogen-bonded polymer complexes of macrocycles containing a pyridyl moiety and carboxyl-functionalized polystyrenes An approach to H-bonded rotaxanes

Summary Copolystyrenes complexed with macrocyclic compounds through hydrogen bonding have been synthesized by the copolymerization of styrene with the complex of 4-vinylbenzoic acid and crown ethers containing a 2,6-pyridyl moiety. The glass transition temperatures of the copolymeric complexes are significantly lower than that of the simple copolymer, which shows that the carboxylic acid groups in the polymer backbone do not intermolecularly dimerize. The UV absorption spectra of polymeric complexes suggest that they have complex structures similar to that of the low-molecular-weight complexes of 4-ethylbenzoic acid and the crown ethers. Received: 31 March 1999/Accepted: 27 April 1999