Synthesis and theoretical studies of the conformational behaviour of N-vinylcaprolactam/N-vinylimidazole copolymers in selective solvent

AI Barabanova and AV Vorozheykina and MK Glagolev and PV Komarov and AR Khokhlov, MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING, 9, 1017-1022 (2024).

DOI: 10.1039/d4me00085d

Bulk radical copolymerisation of N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and N-vinylimidazole (VI) is studied experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the copolymer composition is maintained up to high comonomer conversions. This is explained by a constant ratio of concentrations of comonomers in the reaction zone. The copolymers obtained show thermally induced conformational behaviour. In an aqueous medium above 60 degrees C, they can form compact globular structures with a hydrophobic core of VCL monomer units covered by a hydrophilic corona of VI monomer units, which allows them to be considered as a basis for thermally switchable functional nanostructures.

Return to Publications page