Nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of acrylamide in water solution

This study shows that reasonably controlled nitroxide-mediated polymerization of acrylamide is achieved in pure water solution at 120 °C and high concentration (40 wt%), using a combination of a conventional hydrosoluble radical initiator (Vazo56) and a β-phosphonylated nitroxide, SG1. Moreover, some chain extensions can be performed from a polyacrylamide macroinitiator. Under these experimental conditions, we have demonstrated the conservation of the acrylamide structure without hydrolysis side reactions. The physico-chemical characterizations of polymers obtained from this method demonstrates that the controlled growing chain arises as a star-like shape from the hydrophobic core composed of SG1-functionalized polyacrylamide in the presence of a slight excess of SG1.