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Reversibly Switchable Double‐Responsive Block Copolymer Brushes
Author(s) -
Wang Xi,
Xiao Xing,
Wang Xiaohong,
Zhou Jianjun,
Li Lin,
Xu Jun,
Guo Baohua
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200600796
Subject(s) - copolymer , materials science , polymer chemistry , methacrylate , succinic anhydride , block (permutation group theory) , polymer brush , methyl methacrylate , chemical engineering , polymer , composite material , polymerization , geometry , mathematics , engineering
Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐ block ‐poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PHEMA‐ b ‐PNIPAM) was prepared by controlled surface‐initiated ATRP from silicon substrates, and the resulting block copolymers were successfully converted into the corresponding PSEMA‐ b ‐PNIPAM by esterification of the hydroxy groups on the PHEMA block using excess of succinic anhydride. The PSEMA‐ b ‐PNIPAM block copolymer brushes respond to both temperature and pH stimuli. The double‐responsive behavior of the block copolymer brushes in solution was investigated by height imaging and force–distance measurements of AFM. The results clearly show the responsive behavior of the smart block copolymer brushes.