Synthesis of Amphiphilic Graft Copolymers with Poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) Side Chains and a Backbone Containing Chloromethylstyrene and Methyl Methacrylate

New amphiphilic graft copolymers were synthesized by means of a cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline initiated with a statistical copolymer of methyl methacrylate and chloromethylstyrene. The synthesis was carried out in benzonitrile at 110°C. The grafting reaction was quantitative and the yield of grafting was more than 90%percent;. The graft copolymers were characterized by means of NMR, FT‐IR, and UV‐VIS spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis and viscosity measurements of their aqueous solutions. The graft copolymers revealed amphiphilic properties and evidence for the formation of micelles and molecular aggregates in aqueous solution. Graft copolymers with relatively short lateral chains are soluble in methanol but insoluble in water, while the copolymers with longer lateral chains are soluble in both methanol and water.     

Poly(L‐glutamic acid) grafted with oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate): Thermal phase transition,secondary structure,and self‐assembly

Thermoresponsive and pH‐responsive graft copolymers, poly(L ‐glutamate)‐g‐oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) and poly(L ‐glutamic acid‐co‐(L ‐glutamate‐g‐oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate))), were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of N‐carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization of 2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate. The thermoresponsiveness of graft copolymers could be tuned by the molecular weight of oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) (OMEO₃MA), composition of poly(L ‐glutamic acid) (PLGA) backbone and pH of the aqueous solution. The α‐helical contents of graft copolymers could be influenced by OMEO₃MA length and pH of the aqueous solution. In addition, the graft copolymers exhibited tunable self‐assembly behavior. The hydrodynamic radius (R_h) and critical micellization concentration values of micelles were relevant to the length of OMEO₃MA and the composition of biodegradable PLGA backbone. The R_h could also be adjusted by the temperature and pH values. Lastly, in vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay revealed that the graft copolymers were biocompatible to HeLa cells. Therefore, with good biocompatibility, well‐defined secondary structure, and mono‐, dual‐responsiveness, these graft copolymers are promising stimuli‐responsive materials for biomedical applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Thermosensitive behavior of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) double hydrophilic block copolymers

The poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(2‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PEG/PDMAEMA) double hydrophilic block copolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization using mPEG‐Br or Br‐PEG‐Br as macroinitiators. The narrow molecular weight distribution of PEG/PDMAEMA block copolymers was identified by gel permeation chromatography results. The thermosensitivity of PEG/PDMAEMA block copolymers in aqueous solution was revealed to depend significantly on pH, ionic strength, chain structure, and concentration of the block copolymers. By optimizing these factors, the cloud point temperature of PEG/PDMAEMA block copolymers can be limited within body temperature range (30–37 °C), which suggests that PEG/PDMAEMA block copolymers could be a good candidate for drug delivery systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 503–508, 2010     

Synthesis of Block Copolymers of 2‐Ethylhexyl Methacrylate,n‐Hexyl Methacrylate and Methyl Methacrylate via Anionic Polymerization at Ambient Temperature

It still remains a concern to break through the bottlenecks of anionic polymerization of polar monomers, such as side reactions, low conversion and low temperature (–78°C). In this work, potassium tert‐butoxide (t‐BuOK) was chosen to initiate the anionic polymerization of 2‐ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) in tetrahydrofuran. The conversions were above 99% at 0 or 30°C, and above 95% at 60°C without side reaction inhibitors. The high conversions implied t‐BuOK could suppress the side reactions. A series of block copolymers of EHMA, n‐hexyl methacrylate (HMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were further synthesized at 0°C, and the conversions were all above 99%. The GPC and ¹H NMR results confirmed the successful synthesis of the block copolymers. The molecular size of monomer and the state of t‐BuOK (free ion pairs or aggregates) remarkably affected the polymerization rates and the molecular structures of the products. The DMA results indicated that the glass transition temperatures of PEHMA or PHMA block and PMMA block were 20°C and 60°C, respectively, which deviated from –2°C and 105°C of homopolymer, respectively, due to the partial compatibility of the blocks. This work explored a route of the anionic polymerization of polar monomers at room temperature.     

Synthesis of New Graft Copolymers by Combining the DPE Technique and Cationic Polymerization

The synthesis of a new macroinitiator for cationic polymerization via radical polymerization is presented. The macroinitiator, consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly[styrene‐co‐(4‐chloromethylstyrene)], was synthesized by heating poly(methyl methacrylate), prepared in the presence of 1,1‐diphenylethylene, in a mixture of styrene and 4‐chloromethylstyrene to 85°C without any additional initiator. The resulting macroinitiator could be used for the cationic polymerization of isobutylene yielding graft copolymers.     

Synthesis of well‐defined multigraft copolymers by a two‐step living radical polymerization with nitroxyl‐functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate)

Novel multigraft copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate‐graft‐polystyrene) (PMMA‐g‐PS) in which the number of graft PS side chains was varied were prepared by a subsequent two‐step living radical copolymerization approach. A polymerizable 4‐vinylbezenyl 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) monomer (STEMPO), which functioned as both a monomer and a radical trapper, was placed in a low‐temperature atom transfer radical polymerization (60°C) process of methyl methacrylate with ethyl 2‐bromopronionate (EPNBr) as an initiator to gain ethyl pronionate‐capped prepolymers with TEMPO moieties, PMMA‐STEMPOs. The number of TEMPO moieties grafted on the PMMA backbone could be designed by varying STEMPO/EPNBr, for example, the ratios of 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 gained one, two, or three graft TEMPO moieties, respectively. The resulting prepolymers either as a macromolecular initiator or a trapper copolymerized with styrene in the control of stable free‐radical polymerization at an elevated temperature (120 °C), producing the corresponding multigraft copolymers, PMMA‐g‐PSs. The nitroxyl‐functionalized PMMA prepolymers produced a relatively high initiation efficiency (>0.8) as a result of the stereohindrance and slow diffusion of TEMPO moieties connected on the long PMMA backbone. The polymerization kinetics in two processes showed a living radical polymerization characteristic. The molecular structures of these prepolymers and graft copolymers were well characterized by combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, chemical element analysis, and ¹H NMR. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1876–1884, 2002     

Synthesis of well-defined all-acrylic graft copolymers

Well defined all-acrylic graft copolymers have been synthesized using the macromonomer technique. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) macromonomers of controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized by group transfer polymerization (GTP) using a protected hydroxyl functional initiator. These macromonomers were quantitatively functionalized with a polymerizable acrylic and group and copolymerized under free radical conditions with 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2EHA) to form the desired well defined graft copolymers in high yields. The macromonomers and the copolymers have been characterized by a variety of spectroscopic, chromatographic and thermal analysis methods. Transparent, multiphase materials with glass transition temperature (Tg) values of approximately -65 °C and 115 °C were obtained. The reaction conditions necessary to generate these materials most effectively have also been investigated and are described herein.     

Polymerization of 2-azabicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-3-one and its copolymerization with 2-pyrrolidone

The anionic polymerization of a bridged bicyclic lactam, 2-azabicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-3-one (ABHO), was carried out in bulk and in solution under various reaction conditions. In general bulk polymerization of ABHO was superior to solution polymerization in conversion and degree of polymerization. The resulting polymer exhibited good thermal stability at temperatures up to 300°C. The melting point and decomposition temperature of this polyamide, poly(cyclopentane-1,3-diyliminocarbonyl), were about 307 and 335°C, respectively. Copolymerization of ABHO with 2-pyrrolidone was also made at 30°C and a varying weight percentage of ABHO with potassium pyrrolidonate as catalyst and CS₂ as activator. Copolyamides that contained 15 w % of ABHO decomposed at a temperature higher than the melting point by almost 30°C. Thus the thermal stability of copolymers compared with that of nylon-4, was greatly improved. Moisture sorptions of homopolymers and copolymers were always larger than those of other polyamides (nylon 4 and 6) at any relative humidity. Tenacity and elongation at the break of melt-spun fibers obtained from copolyamides that contained 15 w % of ABHO without the drawing and annealing process were 1.25 g/den and 13.1%, respectively.     

A novel route to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and its amphiphilic block copolymers

The vinyl of the ester group of 2-vinyloxyethyl methacrylate was first selectively reacted with acetic acid to obtain 2-[1-(acetoxy)ethoxy]ethyl methacrylate ( 2 ). This protected monomer was subjected to anionic polymerization in tetrahydrofuran at −60°C in the presence of LiCl, using 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium as initiator. The molecular weight of the polymer could thus be controlled and a narrow molecular weight distribution obtained. The protecting group, 1-(acetoxy)ethyl, could be easily eliminated (by quenching the polymerization reaction with methanol and water) to generate poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)). Block copolymers were also prepared by the sequential anionic polymerization of MMA and 2 or styrene and 2 . They possess narrow molecular weight distributions, and controlled molecular weights and compositions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1865–1872, 1998     

Photoinitiated homopolymerization and copolymerization of furfuryl methacrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidone

The study of the homo- and copolymerization of furfuryl methacrylate ( F ) and vinylpyrrolidone ( P ) in bulk, initiated by the photoactivation of AIBN at low temperatures (0 and 40°C), is described. The kinetic diagrams for the homopolymerization of F and P were obtained following the evolution of the heat of reaction by DSC, and revealed the autoacceleration and the vitrification effects on the polymerization rate. The influence of oxygen in the photoinitiated polymerization was analyzed by determining the steady-state concentration of oxygen from the kinetic data obtained for polymerizations performed out in the presence and absence of oxygen. The results obtained indicate that P is more sensitive than F to the presence of oxygen in free radical polymerization. The photoinitiated copolymerization process is little affected by the concentration of monomers, giving similar R_p and θ_m values for both systems. However, at low polymerization temperature 0°C non-crosslinked copolymers are obtained, whereas at a temperature of 40°C, the copolymers prepared at conversion higher than 20 mol % become crosslinked as a result of the active participation of the furfuryl ring in the polymerization process at this temperature. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Peculiar temperature dependence of the binding of methyl orange and its homologs by 2-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone copolymers

2-Diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA)–N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VPy) copolymers of various compositions have been synthesized. The resultant copolymers were examined for their ability to bind methyl orange and its homologs, in particular butyl orange, at 5, 15, 25, and 35°C in aqueous solutions. The amount of binding of butyl orange is much higher with the copolymers than with polyvinylpyrrolidone or with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate–N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone copolymers. Introduction of only 3% of the hydrophobic DEAEMA residue increases markedly the binding affinity toward the cosolute. Maximal binding is obtained at 15°C in the temperature range measured. This peculiar temperature dependence of the extent of binding is explicable on the basis of hydrophobic effects involved in this binding. The peculiar temperature dependence disappeared in aqueous solution of NaSCN which acts as a water-structure breaker: the extent of binding changes regularly with temperature. This is interpretable only in terms of reduction of hydrophobic contribution to the binding. With propyl orange, which is a less hydrophobic cosolute than butyl orange, the peculiarity of the binding was not detected.     

A novel fluorine‐containing graft copolymer bearing perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether‐based backbone and poly(methyl methacrylate) side chains

A series of novel graft copolymers consisting of perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether‐based backbone and poly(methyl methacrylate) side chains were synthesized by the combination of thermal [2π + 2π] step‐growth cycloaddition polymerization of aryl bistrifluorovinyl ether monomer and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate. A new aryl bistrifluorovinyl ether monomer, 2‐methyl‐1,4‐bistrifluorovinyloxybenzene, was first synthesized in two steps from commercially available reagents, and this monomer was homopolymerized in diphenyl ether to provide the corresponding perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether‐based homopolymer with methoxyl end groups. The fluoropolymer was then converted to ATRP macroinitiator by the monobromination of the pendant methyls with N‐bromosuccinimide and benzoyl peroxide. The grafting‐from strategy was finally used to obtain the novel poly(2‐methyl‐1,4‐bistrifluorovinyloxybenzene)‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate) graft copolymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n ≤ 1.46) via ATRP of methyl methacrylate at 50 °C in anisole initiated by the Br‐containing macroinitiator using CuBr/dHbpy as catalytic system. These fluorine‐containing graft copolymers can dissolve in most organic solvents. This is the first example of the graft copolymer possessing perfluorocyclobutyl aryl ether‐based backbone. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Characterization and Evaluation of Thermal,Morphological, and Physicochemical Properties of Chemically Modified Lignocellulosic Biomass

A novel redox system, ascorbic acid-hydrogen peroxide, was employed to initiate graft copolymerization of ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate binary monomer mixtures onto Abelmoschus esculentus fibers at a temperature of 45°C for 90 min in an aqueous medium. Factors affecting grafting such as feed molarity and comonomer composition were investigated. Contrary to the lower affinity of methyl methacrylate for grafting on Abelmoschus fibers, a synergistic effect of ethyl acrylate on methyl methacrylate was observed when graft copolymers were prepared using different feed compositions (f_MMA). The percentage of grafting increased from 40.2% to 89.74% at 0.4 mole fraction of f_MMA. The graft copolymers were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, and SEM techniques.     

Difunctional initiator based on 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene. IV. Synthesis and modification of poly(alkyl methacrylate- b-styrene-b-butadiene- b-styrene-b-alkyl methacrylate (MSBSM)) thermoplastic elastomers

MSBSM five-block copolymers where B stands for butadiene, S for styrene, and M for either methyl methacrylate (MMA) or tert-butyl methacrylate (tBMA) have been synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization in an apolar solvent by using a difunctional anionic initiator derived from 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene. These block copolymers show improved mechanical properties and an extended service temperature compared to traditional SBS thermoplastic elastomers. Upon hydrolysis and further neutralization of the PolytBMA end-blocks, the upper glass transition temperature (T_g) of the five-block copolymers has been raised up to about 150°C. A further increase in this service temperature (up to ca. 160°C) has resulted from the blending of sPMMA-SBS-sPMMA five-block copolymers with isotactic poly(methacrylate) (iPMMA), due to the formation of a stereocomplex. The tensile properties of these modified five-block copolymers have remained essentially unchanged. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

ATRP法合成弹性蛋白接枝共聚物及其性能研究

弹性蛋白经α-溴异丁酰溴化制备了大分子ATRP引发剂溴化弹性蛋白(E-Br), 再以E-Br作为引发剂, 在CuCl/2,2-联吡啶催化体系下, 用原子转移自由基聚合方法合成了弹性蛋白-g-聚甲基丙烯酸-β-羟乙酯接枝聚合物. 用红外光谱(FTIR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、热重分析(TGA)、扫描电镜(SEM)、离子色谱和动态接触角对接枝聚合物进行了表征. 结果表明, PHEMA键接到了弹性蛋白表面; SEM显示接枝改性后弹性蛋白的表面比未改性前光滑, 但改性后样品的热性能均比未改性样品的低, 起始热分解温度由改性前的307 ℃变为265 ℃; 动态接触角实验结果表明, 接枝改性后的样品具有良好的亲水性, 反应72 h后, 其前进角由接枝前的130.45°下降到29.80°.     

Solubility behavior of amphiphilic block and random copolymers based on 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline and 2‐nonyl‐2‐oxazoline in binary water–ethanol mixtures

The solution properties of random and block copolymers based on 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline (EtOx) and 2‐nonyl‐2‐oxazoline (NonOx) were investigated in binary solvent mixtures ranging from pure water to pure ethanol. The solubility phase diagrams for the random and block copolymers revealed solubility (after heating), insolubility, dispersions, micellization as well as lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and upper critical solution temperature behavior. The random and block copolymers containing over 60 mol % pNonOx were found to be solubilized in ethanol upon heating, whereas the dissolution temperature of the block copolymers was found to be much higher than for the random copolymers due to the higher extent of crystallinity. Furthermore, the block copolymer containing 10 mol % pNonOx exhibited a LCST in aqueous solution at 68.7 °C, whereas the LCST for the random copolymer was found to be only 20.8 °C based on the formation of hydrophobic microdomains in the block copolymer. The random copolymer displayed a small increase in LCST up to a solvent mixture of 9 wt % EtOH, whereas further increase of ethanol led to a decrease in LCST, which is probably due to the “water‐breaking” effect causing an increased attraction between ethanol and the hydrophobic part of the copolymer. In addition, the EtOx‐NonOx block copolymers revealed the formation of micelles and dynamic light scattering demonstrated that the micellar size is increasing with increasing the ethanol content due to the enhanced solubility of EtOx. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 515–522, 2009     

Water‐soluble,thermoresponsive, hyperbranched copolymers based on PEG‐methacrylates: Synthesis,characterization, and LCST behavior

A series of water‐soluble thermoresponsive hyperbranched copoly(oligoethylene glycol)s were synthesized by copolymerization of di(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (DEG‐MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEG‐MA, M_w = 475 g/mol), with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGD‐MA) used as the crosslinker, via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. Polymers were characterized by size exclusion chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. According to the monomer composition, that is, the ratio of OEG‐MA: DEG‐MA: EGD‐MA, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) could be tuned from 25 °C to 90 °C. The thermoresponsive properties of these hyperbranched copolymers were studied carefully and compared with their linear analogs. It was found that molecular architecture influences thermoresponsive behavior, with a decrease of around 5–10 °C in the LCST of the hyperbranched polymers compared with the LCST of linear chains. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2783–2792, 2010     

Controlled polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and its block copolymer with N‐isopropylacrylamide by RAFT polymerization

Poly(2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) homopolymers with low polydispersities were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization. The performances of two chain transfer agents, 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate and 4‐cyanopentanic acid dithiobenzoate (CPADB), were compared. It was found that the polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino) ethyl methylacrylate was under good control in the presence of CPADB with 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) (ACPA) as initiator in 1,4‐dioxane at 70 °C. The kinetic behaviors were investigated under different CPADB/ACPA molar ratios. A long polymerization inhibition period was observed at high [CPADB]/[ACPA] ratio. The influences of [CPADB]/[ACPA] ratio, monomer/[CPADB] ratio, and temperature were studied with respect to monomer conversion, molecular weight control, and polydispersity index (PDI). The PDI decreased from 1.21 to 1.12, as the CPADB/ACPA molar ratio changed from 2 to 10. The molecular weight of PDEAEMA could be controlled by monomer/CPADB molar ratio. The control over MW and PDI was improved as the temperature increased from 60 to 70 °C; however, an additional increase to 80 °C led to a loss of control. Using PDEAEMA macroRAFT agent, pH/thermo double‐responsive block copolymers of PDEAEMA and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PDEAEMA‐b‐PNIPAM) with narrow polydispersity (PDI, 1.24) were synthesized. The lower critical solution temperature of PDEAEMA‐b‐PNIPAM block copolymer depended on the environmental pH. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3294–3305, 2008     

Synthesis,self‐assembly,and thermosensitive properties of ethyl cellulose‐g‐P(PEGMA) amphiphilic copolymers

Ethyl cellulose graft poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (EC‐g‐P(PEGMA)) amphiphilic copolymers were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, and gel permeation chromatography. Reaction kinetics analysis indicated that the graft copolymerization is living and controllable. The self‐assembly and thermosensitive property of the obtained EC‐g‐P(PEGMA) amphiphilic copolymers in water were investigated by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and transmittance. It was found that the EC‐g‐P(PEGMA) amphiphilic copolymers can self‐assemble into spherical micelles in water. The size of the micelles increases with the increase of the side chain length. The spherical micelles show thermosensitive properties with a lower critical solution temperature around 65 °C, which almost independent on the graft density and the length of the side chains. The obtained EC‐g‐P(PEGMA) graft copolymers have both the unique properties of poly(ethylene glycol) and cellulose, which may have the potential applications in biomedicine and biotechnology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 46: 6907–6915, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of pH‐sensitive and thermosensitive double hydrophilic graft copolymers

A series of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐poly(N^ε‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐lysine) graft copolymers (PNIPAm‐co‐PZLLys) with different side chains (degree of polymerization, DP = 5～40) and unit ratios (from 30 to 70 mol %) were prepared via free radical polymerization, followed by cleaving benzyloxycarbonyl groups (Z groups) to obtain the double hydrophilic graft copolymer, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐poly(L ‐lysine) (PNIPAm‐co‐PLLys). The pH‐ and temperature‐response properties of the graft copolymers in aqueous solution were studied. The experimental results indicate L15‐N30 and L15N‐70, that is, the PNIPAm‐co‐PLLys having the poly(L ‐lysine) of DP = 15 as side chains as well as 30 and 70 mol %, respectively, of PNIPAm as backbone, have coil‐to‐helix transitions from pH 6 to pH 12 at room temperature and form uniform nanoscale micelle‐like dispersions in aqueous solution at pH 12. The graft copolymers also could form uniform and nanoscale micelle‐like structures at 50 °C in pH 6 buffer solution due to slightly polymer aggregation. With temperature and pH increased, both the deprotonated PLLys side chains and PNIPAm backbone become hydrophobic, leading to polymer precipitation. These results illustrate that a double tunable hydrophilic graft copolymer had been successfully synthesized via a simple radical polymerization, and could form micelles without serious polymer aggregation at a lower pH and a higher temperature. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011