Nitroxide-mediated copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate: copolymerization kinetics and thermoresponsive properties

Richard Hoogenboom; Dragos Popescu; Wiktor Steinhauer; Helmut Keul; Martin Möller

doi:10.1002/marc.200900507

Nitroxide-mediated copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate: copolymerization kinetics and thermoresponsive properties

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2009 Dec 1;30(23):2042-8. doi: 10.1002/marc.200900507. Epub 2009 Nov 3.

Authors

Richard Hoogenboom¹, Dragos Popescu, Wiktor Steinhauer, Helmut Keul, Martin Möller

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen and DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., Pauwelsstr. 8, D-52056 Aachen, Germany. hoogenboom@dwi.rwth-aachen.de.

PMID: 21638493
DOI: 10.1002/marc.200900507

Abstract

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) is an interesting biomaterial with similar biocompatibility as the widespread used poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). Poly(2-hydroxypropyl acrylate) (PHPA) is a less frequently studied polymer that exhibits thermoresponsive behavior in water. Therefore, copolymers of HEA and HPA are interesting thermoresponsive polymers to evaluate as potential biomaterials. Here, we report the copolymerization kinetics of HEA and HPA by nitroxide-mediated polymerization, employing Blocbuilder® initiator and SG-1 free nitroxide, revealing an ideal random copolymerization. Furthermore, the thermoresponsive properties of the resulting copolymers are discussed, whereby the cloud points are related to both polymer composition as well as polymer concentration.