Graft copolymers with hydrophilic and hydrophobic polyether side chains

Poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate (PEOMA) and oligo(propylene glycol)-4-nonylphenyl ether acrylate (OPOPhNA) were copolymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Grafting through method was employed in the presence of CuBr/HMTETA or CuBr/PMDETA catalyst/ligand complex in anisole at 70 °C. It yielded a heterografted copolymers containing hydrophilic PEO and hydrophobic OPOPhNA side chains with polymerization degree DP = 68–315 in the presence of PMDETA and DP = 48–195 in the presence HMTETA. Moreover, higher reactivity of PEOMA than OPOPhNA (rmethacrylate > racrylate), which was observed during copolymerization, suggested the formation of copolymers with a spontaneous gradient composition starting from the grafted segment of P(PEOMA). The molecular weight distribution (MWD) was increased with DP in the range 1.2–1.6. The X-ray diffraction analysis (WAXS) indicated that larger number of PEO segments generated crystalline properties in the copolymers with amorphous OPOPhNA.