Macromolecules, Vol.43, No.4, 1815-1822, 2010
Ring-Opening Metathesis Block Copolymerization of Amino Acid Functionalized Norbornene Monomers. Effects of Solvent and pH on Micelle Formation
Amino acid derived norbornene monomers having unprotected carboxy (1) and amino groups (2) and 7-oxanorbornene having ester groups (3) were block copolymerized using the Grubbs ruthenium complexes. In the combination of I and 2, block copolymers with number-average molecular weights ranging from 43 000 to 95 000 were obtained in good yields. Poly(1)(75)-block-poly(2)(25) was soluble in 0.5 M NaOH(aq) but insoluble in 0.1 M HCl, while poly(1)(25)-block-poly(2)(75) was soluble in 0.1 M HCl but insoluble in 0.5 M NaOH(aq). Thus, the block compositions remarkably affected the solubility of the copolymers in acidic and basic media. On the other hand, poly(2)(62)-block-poly(3)(38) was soluble in H2O but insoluble in CH2Cl2 and CHCl3, while poly(2)(38)-block-poly(3)(62) was soluble in CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 but insoluble in H2O. In this monomer combination, the block compositions significantly affected the Solubility of the copolymers in organic and aqueous media. H-1 NMR spectroscopic, turbidity, and dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that poly(1)(50)-block-poly(2)(50) formed micelles with a diameter around 130 nm in 0.5 M NaOH(aq). In a similar manner, it was revealed that poly(2)(62)-block-poly(3)(38) and poly(2)(38)-block-poly(3)(62) formed micelles with a diameter around 80 nm in H2O and reverse micelles with it diameter around 45 nm in CH2Cl2, respectively.