Abstract
The group-transfer polymerization (GTP) of N,N-bis(2-methoxyethyl)acrylamide (MOEAm) initiated by Me(2)EtSiH in the hydrosilylation-promoted method and by silylketene acetal (SKA) in the conventional method proceeded in a controlled/living manner to provide poly(N,N-bis(2-methoxyethyl)acrylamide) (PMOEAm) and PMOEAm with the SKA residue at the α-chain end (MCIP-PMOEAm), respectively. PMOEAm-b-poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAm) and PMOEAm-s-PDMAm and PMOEAm-b-poly(N,N-bis(2-ethoxyethyl)acrylamide) (PEOEAm) and PMOEAm-s-PEOEAm were synthesized by the block and random group-transfer copolymerization of MOEAm and N,N-dimethylacrylamide or N,N-bis(2-ethoxyethyl)acrylamide. The homo- and copolymer structures affected the thermoresponsive properties; the cloud point temperature (T(cp)) increasing by decreasing the degree of polymerization (x). The chain-end group in PMOEAm affected the T(cp) with PMOEAm(x) > MCIP-PMOEAm(x). The T(cp) of statistical copolymers was higher than that of block copolymers, with PMOEAm(x)-s-PDMAm(y) > PMOEAm(x)-b-PDMAm(y) and PMOEAm(x)-s-PEOEAm(y) > PMOEAm(x)-b-PEOEAm(y).