Synthesis of Amphiphilic Polymer Co-Networks via the Growth of a Living RAFT Network

Abstract

In this study, a different approach for synthesizing amphiphilic polymer co-networks (APCNs) via the growth of a living RAFT (reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer) network, is presented. For the hydrophilic parent RAFT network, 2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) is used as the hydrophilic/polar monomer, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate 700 (PEGDA 700) as the hydrophilic cross-linker, S,S-Dibenzyl trithiocarbonate (DBTTC) as the RAFT agent, and 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine zinc (ZnTPP) as the photocatalyst. Subsequently, the hydrophobic monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA) is incorporated into the parent network to form the amphiphilic daughter network, following the network growth protocol established by the group in 2019. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are employed to characterize the resulting APCN daughter network. Most importantly, the amphiphilicity of the APCN network is evaluated through swelling tests in water and n-hexane. This approach offers advantages in tuning the network's amphiphilicity by simply adjusting the photogrowth time or the crosslinking density of the parent gel. Also, this technique can reduce the time and effort required to produce APCNs.