Synthesis of ferrocene boronic acid-based block copolymers via RAFT polymerization and their micellization,redox responsive and glucose sensing properties

Current study is focused on the synthesis of three novel diblock copolymers poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid, poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-poly vinylamido phenyl boronic acid and poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polystyrene boronic acid using S-methoxycarbonylphenylmethyl dithiobenzoate as reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization agent. The synthesized block copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Detailed micellization behaviour of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid (in binary organic solvents mixture and aqueous solution) was studied. Comparative studies of micellization showed that the larger aggregates were obtained in binary organic solvents system than during dialysis in aqueous medium. The redox responsive behaviour of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid was investigated by water soluble oxidizing (Ammonium cerium nitrate) and reducing (Sodium hydrogen sulphite) agents. Glucose binding/sensing properties of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amido phenyl boronic acid were also explored by micellization. It was found that the increase in polarity and swelling of poly(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl ferrocene carboxylate-b-polymethyl vinyl amidophenyl boronic acid micelles was due to the redox behaviour of ferrocene, while binding of glucose with boronic acids hydroxyls appears as unimers or small aggregates.