Soluble-Insoluble-Soluble Transitions of Thermoresponsive Cryptand-Containing Graft Copolymers.

ABSTRACT: Cryptand-containing alternative copolymers were first made from copolymerization of styrenic derivatives and maleic anhydride and then chemically modified in this work by grafting methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) onto the maleic functional groups. These graft copolymers show interesting multistep soluble-insoluble-soluble (S-I-S) transitions in acidic aqueous media at a cloud point (T _cp) and a subsequent mixing temperature (T _mix). Turbidity measurements and dynamic light scattering studies indicate that such complex transitions may be attributed to the entropic contribution associated with the dehydration and aggregation of the MPEG groups and then the enthalpic contribution associated with the hydrogen bonding between ethylene glycol and carboxyli

SUBMITTER: Zhang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6645115 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature