Well-Defined Poly(oxazoline)-b-Poly(acrylate) Amphiphilic Copolymers: From Synthesis by Polymer-Polymer Coupling to Self-Organization in Water

In this contribution, we report on the self assembly in water of original amphiphilic poly(2-methyl-2oxazoline)-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) copolymers, synthesized by copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. For such purpose, polyoxazoline (poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)) and polyacrylate (poly(tert-butyl acrylate)) are first prepared by cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), respectively. Well-defined polymeric building blocks, ω-N3-P(t-BA) and -alkyne-P(MOx), bearing reactive chain end groups, are accurately characterized by MALDI-Tof spectroscopy. Then, P(MOx)n-b-P(t-BA)m are achieved by polymer-polymer coupling and are fully characterized by DOSY NMR and size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating the obtaining of pure amphiphilic copolymers. Consequently, the latter lead to the formation in water of well-defined monodisperse spherical micelles (RH = 40-60 nm) which are studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, SLS, AFM and TEM.