Synthesis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with low polydispersity using ultrasonic irradiation

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) having low polydispersity was synthesized in mixed solvent of ethanol and water using ultrasonic irradiation without any chemical polymerization initiator. The effects of the volume fraction of ethanol in the solvent, the molar ratio of two monomers, the monomer concentration and the ultrasonic power intensity on the time courses of the conversion to the polymer, the number average molecular weight, and the polydispersity of synthesized polymer were investigated in order to determine the optimal conditions to synthesize the copolymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution (i.e. low polydispersity). The optimum volume fraction of ethanol in the solvent was 60 vol% to synthesize the copolymers with a low polydispersity. A higher ultrasonic power intensity resulted in a faster polymerization rate and a lower number average molecular weight. The polydispersity was less than 1.5 for all ultrasonic power intensities up to 450 W/dm³ applied in this work. A higher monomer concentration gave a faster polymerization rate and a higher number average molecular weight. The polydispersity was less than 1.5 when the monomer concentration was lower than 0.4 mol/dm³. A higher molar ratio of N-isopropylacrylamide resulted in a higher polymerization rate and a lower number average molecular weight. The copolymers with polydispersity less than 1.5 can be obtained regardless of the molar ratio of N-isopropylacrylamide. The copolymers synthesized by the ultrasonic polymerization method had a high temperature responsibility.