Multistimuli Responsive Grafted Poly(ether tert-amine) (gPEA): Synthesis, Characterization and Controlled Morphology in Aqueous Solution

Multistimuli responsive grafted poly(ether tert-amine) (gPEAs), which were comprised of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) in backbone and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as grafted chain, were successfully synthesized through nucleophilic addition/ring-opening reaction of commercial poly(propylene glycol) diglycidyl ether and Jeffamine L100. These gPEAs exhibit very sharp response to temperature, pH and ionic strength with tunable cloud point (CP). The CP of gPEA aqueous solution increases with increasing the PEO content or decreasing pH value, varying from 27 to 77 degrees C. Compared with linear PEA101, gPEA110 of completely grafted structure in aqueous solution exhibits sharper response to temperature with Delta T around 1 degrees C. The results obtained from TEM and dynamic light scattering reveal that gPEAs are dispersed as uniform sized nano-micelles in aqueous at room temperature, which can further aggregate into mesoglobules of complex structure at high temperature (>CP). (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6353-6361, 2009