Electrochemically mediated ATRP of acrylamides in water

- Diblock and triblock copolymers were synthesized by eATRP in aqueous media.
- eATRP of acrylamide was well controlled with CuBr2/Me6TREN complex at 0 °C.
- Results of kinetic studies confirmed controlled process of polymerization.

Electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP) of acrylamide was investigated in aqueous media. The synthesis of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(acrylamide) block copolymers via eATRP under potentiostatic conditions was carried out. Various polymerization parameters were examined, including temperature, monomer concentration, ligand structure, and degree of polymerization (DP). Under optimized reaction conditions, the DP of resulting copolymers increased linearly with monomer conversion and semilogarithmic kinetic plots were linear. Successful chain extension and formation of the block copolymers confirmed the living nature of the eATRP of acrylamides in aqueous media.

Electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP) of acrylamide was well controlled with CuBr2/Me6TREN complex, at high of water content (84%) and at low temperature of 0 °C. Diblock and triblock copolymers with molecular weight evolution close to theoretical values and with narrow molecular weight distribution were prepared.