Title: Thermo-Responsive Films Obtained from Various Block Copolymers by Living Cationic Polymerization: Smart Films with Various Transition Patterns
Abstract:Various block copolymers of an alicyclic vinyl ether with stimuli-responsive vinyl ethers were synthesized by living cationic polymerization in the presence of a weak Lewis base. The obtained copolyme...Various block copolymers of an alicyclic vinyl ether with stimuli-responsive vinyl ethers were synthesized by living cationic polymerization in the presence of a weak Lewis base. The obtained copolymers had very narrow molecular weight distribution and formed free-standing films when having an alicyclic segment of sufficient length. The wettability of the film surface was evaluated by the contact angles of water or organic solvents. The polymers that exhibited thermosensitivity in solution permitted LCST-type or UCST-type thermoresponsiveness even on the film surface. Furthermore, mixtures of the thermoresensitive diblock copolymers for opposite types of transition exhibited characteristic multistep thermosensitivity.Read More