Acrylamide-based amphiphilic block copolymers via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

Nitroxide-mediated polymerization is shown to produce well-defined poly(N,N-dimethyl-acrylamide) samples. In the presence of SG1, a beta-phosphonylated nitroxide, the free radical polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide indeed exhibits a living/controlled character, provided the nitroxide is used in excess and its concentration finely tuned as compared to that the free radical initiator (AIBN). Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide-b-butyl acrylate) diblocks copolymers were subsequently derived by sequential polymerization of the two corresponding monomers.