Study on temperature-responsiveness of methoxydiethyleneglycol methacrylate copolymers

Poly(methoxy diethyleneglycol methacrylate) (RDM) showed a temperature-responsive coil-globule transition in water at 25.5 °C. PDM/PBMA latex with RDM chains on its surface was prepared by emulsion polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) with a macroinitiator having RDM chain at its both ends. PBMA latex without RDM chain was prepared using disuccinimidyl 4,4'-azobis(cyanovalerate) as an initiator instead of the macroinitiator. The former latex showed temperature-responsiveness in critical flocculation concentration (CFC), whereas the latter latex did not. This result indicates that the temperature-responsiveness of RDM chain was not impaired by its fixation onto polymer microspheres.