A new temperature-sensitive polymer: Poly(ethoxypropylacrylamide)

In this study, a new temperature sensitive polymer was obtained by the solution polymerization of ethoxypropylacrylamide. The monomer, N-(3-ethoxypropyl)-acrylamide was synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 3-ethoxy-propylamine and acryloyl chloride. The solution polymerization was performed in ethanol at 70 °C, by using azobisizobutyronitrile as the initiator. Poly(N-(3-ethoxypropyl)acrylamide), PEPA, exhibited a reversible phase transition by the temperature. The effects of polymer and salt concentrations on the lower critical solution temperature, (LCST) behaviour were investigated. LCST was found to be strongly dependent on the polymer concentration. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirmed the formation of aggregates by the association of nucleated polymer chains at the temperatures higher than LCST. However an unusual behaviour, a marked decrease in the hydrodynamic diameter by the increasing PEPA concentration was observed below the LCST. The effect of salt concentration on the critical flocculation temperature of PEPA was reasonably similar to poly(isopropylacrylamide), PNIPA. In the ethanol-water media, the reversible phase transition behaviour was observed up the ethanol concentration of 30% v/v. This study indicated that PEPA was a new alternative thermally reversible material for PNIPA. With respect to the well-defined temperature-sensitive polymers like PNIPA, polymer concentration dependent LCST of PEPA can provide significant advantages in the applications like drug targeting, affinity separation and immobilization of bioactive agents.