ATRP of 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and preparation of stable gelable block copolymers

ATRP of a gelable monomer, 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TESPMA), mediated by CuBr/N,N,N',N '',N ''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) using ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (2-EBiB) as initiator was studied. The results indicate that polymerization follows the first-order kinetic. PolyTESPMA (PTESPMA) is much more stable to moisture which is important for exploring the properties of its block copolymer. A series of PEO-b-PTESPMA block copolymers with different composition were prepared. Self-assembly of PEO-b-PTESPMA has also been explored in a mixture of methanol and water and polymeric vesicles have been obtained. By introducing the gelation catalyst, the block copolymer vesicles can be stabilized by the silica networks. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.