The Swelling and Transition Behavior of Thermo-Responsive Poly(2-(2-Methoxyethoxy) Ethoxyethyl Methacrylate-co-Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Methyl Ether Methacrylate) Thin Films

Abstract

Thermo-responsive random copolymer poly (2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxyethyl methacrylate-co-poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate), abbreviated as P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA300) was synthesized by 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxyethyl methacrylate (MEO2MA) and poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA300) with a molar ratio of 1:1 via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The structure of P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA300) was confirmed by 1H NMR and GPC. The transition behaviors of P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA300) in aqueous solution were investigated by UV-Vis and DLS. While the transition behaviors of P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA300) thin films were probed by white light interferometry. Compared to the P(MEO2MA-co-OEGMA300) in solution, it shows a much broader transition region, which is a promising candidate for the slow release of drug in the field of medicine.