Cellulose-g-PDMAam copolymers by controlled radical polymerization in homogeneous medium and their aqueous solution properties

Water-soluble cellulose-graft-PDMAam copolymers were prepared by single-electron-transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP). Cellulose based macroinitiator for SET-LRP with a degree of substitution DS ≈ 2 was synthesized from softwood dissolving pulp in a homogeneous LiCl/DMAc solution. The macroinitiator was then grafted using N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAam) in DMSO. Formation of cellulose-g-DMAam copolymers were confirmed by ATR–FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and SEC analyses. Light scattering and steady–shear viscosity measurements revealed that the studied chain length of grafts (DP_graft) had only minor effects on the solution properties of cellulose-g-PDMAam copolymers. SLS studies suggested a loose, solvent-draining architecture of the cellulose-g-PDMAam copolymer particles in H₂O.