Synthesis and Associating Properties of Poly(ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether)/Poly(propylene oxide) Triblock Copolymers

• DOI: 10.1021/ma0354039
• Publication Date: 2007-05-30T12:44:19Z
• Authors: Philip Dimitrov; Stanislav Rangelov; Andrzej Dworak; Christo B. Tsvetanov
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

A number of ABA and BAB triblock copolymers of ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether (EEGE) and propylene oxide (PO) were prepared by sequential anionic polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. The total number-average molecular weights were in the range 1000−9000, whereas the degrees of polymerization of the PPO and PEEGE blocks varied from 2 to 34 and from 3 to 17, respectively. The copolymers were comprised of blocks with different lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) in aqueous media. Their self-association in aqueous environment was studied by cloud point (CP) measurements, dye solubilization, light scattering, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy. Although the behavior of the copolymers was found to depend on their architecture, the PO/EEGE ratio, and the degrees of polymerization of the different blocks, the role of the PEEGE blocks was decisive: it is PEEGE that determines the LCST properties of the ...