Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Amphiphilic Telechelic Polyoxetanes

Abstract

Alcohol-terminated telechelic polyoxetanes with semifluorinated (FOx) and alkyl ether pendant groups (ME2Ox) were synthesized and characterized. These are amphiphilic telechelics by virtue of incorporation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic repeat units. The ME2Ox/FOx telechelic copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy for composition and molecular weight through end-group analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed decreasing Tg with increasing incorporation of ME2Ox and provided evidence for copolymer structure. Monomer reactivity ratios were determined in two solvents with different polarity. In methylene chloride, an active end derived from 5FOx monomer reacts preferentially with ME2Ox whereas the ME2Ox-derived end shows no selectively. The reactivity ratios are 0.97 for ME2Ox and 0.12 for 5FOx. In methylcyclohexane, the monomer reactivity ratios are more characteristic of ideal copolymerization. The parameters are 1.65 for ME2Ox and 0.49 for 5FOx.