Effect of atom transfer radical polymerization macroinitiator on properties of poly(meth)acrylate-based pentablock type of thermoplastic elastomers

We report well controlled synthesis of novel tri-component [polyisobutylene (PIB), poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)] pentablock copolymers (PMMA-b-PnBA-b-PIB-b-PnBA-b-PMMA) by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) using PIB as a macroinitiator. The surface properties (hydrophobicity, in vitro oxidative stability and cellular interaction) and the bulk properties (phase separation and mechanical properties) of the PIB-containing pentablock copolymers were compared with PMMA-b-PnBA-b-PDMS-b-PnBA-b-PMMA (where PDMS = polydimethylsiloxane) and conventional PMMA-b-PnBA-b-PMMA copolymers synthesized by PDMS and PnBA macroinitiators respectively. It is revealed that type of ATRP macroinitiator (with low glass transition temperature) influences the properties of resultant pentablock copolymers in terms of phase separation, mechanical properties in vitro oxidative stability, cytocompatibility and cell proliferation. Pentablock copolymers synthesized by PIB macroinitiator exhibited superior overall properties compared to pentablock copolymers synthesized by PDMS macroinitiator and neat triblock copolymer synthesized by PnBA macroinitiator. Among the copolymers tested, one with composition PIB:PnBA:PMMA = 10:64:26 (w/w) exhibited best mechanical property, oxidative stability and cytocompatibility. The newly designed PIB-containing pentablock copolymer may be useful where softness, flexibility, processability and biostability/cytocompatibility are desired.