Synthesis and radical polymerization behavior of methacrylamides having L-leucyl-L-alanine oligopeptide moieties. Effect of the peptide chain length on the radical polymerizability

Abstract

Synthesis and radical polymerization of methacrylamides having L-leucyl-L-alanine oligopeptide moieties, N-methacryloyl-(L-leucyl-L-alanine)n methyl ester (MA-(LA)n-M, n = 2 ∼ 4), were carried out. The monomers were synthesized by the condensation of (L-leucyl-L-alanine)1∼3 methyl ester · trifluoroacetate with N-methacryloyl-L-leucyl-L-alanine using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride or N,N′-dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide as coupling reagents. The radical polymerization was carried out in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol using 2,2′-azoisobutyronitrile as an initiator at 60°C. The monomer with a longer peptide chain showed a smaller conversion and degree of polymerization.