Aqueous AGET ATRP of sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-N-propane sulfonate yielding strong anionic comb polyelectrolytes

Abstract

Anionic comb polyelectrolytes containing 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-N-propane sulfonate groups both in the mainchain and in the grafts were prepared by activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP). The synthetic route included AGET ATRP copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-N-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) followed by modification of HEA units in the copolymers by 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide yielding macroinitiators which served for "grafting from" AGET ATRP of AMPS. Composition of the final and intermediate products was determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and molecular weight and polydispersity of the resulting polyelectrolytes were estimated by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Anionic comb polyelectrolytes with relatively low density of the grafts (5 - 7 grafting sites per 100 monomeric units of the mainchain) and relatively short side chains (9 or 25 AMPS units) were synthesized and characterized.