Summary:
The aim of my work is to provide basic understanding of polymerization behavior of cyclic ketene acetals with different vinyl monomers and their properties evaluation.
First, functional degradable poly(ester-co-NIPAAm) is synthesized by free radical copolymerization. The copolymerization behavior is intensively analyzed. The resulting polymers are found to be hydrolytic degradable and thermal sensitive leading to a solution-suspension transition in water.
Second, the strong reactivity of cyclic ketene acetals with Brönsted acids is intensively investigated, which provides important data for synthesis, cationic polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals and their copolymerization behavior with vinyl acids.
Third, ion containing degradable polymers, including ionomers and polyelectrolytes, are synthesized by free radical polymerization and subsequent quaternization of amine in the chain. The resulting polymers obtain a variety of new properties, which can be easily tuned by changing the copolymer compositions and quaternization behaviors. Microstructures are intensively investigated by NMR, SAXA, TEM and DMA to establish the relationship between morphology and property.