Synthesis and functionalities of poly(N-vinylalkylamide). V. Control of a lower critical solution temperature of poly(N-vinylalkylamide)

✍ Scribed by Kazuo Suwa; Keitaro Morishita; Akio Kishida; Mitsuru Akashi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 160 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-624X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0518(19971115)35:15<3087::aid-pola1>3.0.co;2-u

✦ Synopsis

N-vinyl-n-butyramide (NVBA)

, N-vinylisovaleramide (NVIVA), and N-vinyl-n-valeramide (NVVA), which are N-vinylalkylamides with different alkyl groups were synthesized and their solution behavior in a polymeric form was examined. Copolymers of N-vinylisobutyramide (NVIBA) with N-vinylacetamide (NVA), NVIBA with NVVA, and NVVA with NVA were prepared by the solution polymerization to control the LCSTs. The resultant polyNVBA showed a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) sharply at 32ЊC, but polyN-vinylisovaleramide (polyNVIVA) and poly N-vinyln-valeramide(polyNVVA) that have n-butyl and isobutyl groups, respectively, on their side chains were insoluble even in cold water. The water solubility of the resulting polymers was found to vary, depending on the molecular shapes as well as the side chain length of the alkyl groups in question. The copolymers consisting of NVVA, NVIBA, and NVA in water showed LCSTs sharply between 10 and 90ЊC, depending on changes in their comonomer content. It was found that the changes in LCST that are caused by the incorporation of comonomers are due to changes in the overall hydrophilicity of the polymer.