Mediating Gel Formation from Structurally Controlled Poly(Electrolytes) Through Multiple “Head-to-Body” Electrostatic Interactions

Hassan Srour , Olivier Ratel , Mathieu Leocmach , Emma A. Adams (1) , Sandrine Denis-Quanquin (2) , Vinu Krishnan Appukuttan (3) , Nicolas Taberlet (4) , Sébastien Manneville (4) , Jean-Charles Majesté (5) , Christian Carrot (5) , Chantal Andraud (3) , Cyrille Monnereau (3)

1 Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT) Biomedical Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 IPBS - Institut de pharmacologie et de biologie structurale
3 LC - Laboratoire de Chimie - UMR5182
4 Phys-ENS - Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS Lyon
5 IMP - Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères

Tuning the chain-end functionality of a short-chain cationic homopolymer, owing to the nature of the initiator used in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) polymerization step, can be used to mediate the formation of a gel of this poly(electrolyte) in water. While a neutral end group gives a solution of low viscosity, a highly homogeneous gel is obtained with a phosphonate anionic moiety, as characterized by rheometry and diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This novel type of supramolecular control over poly(electrolytic) gel formation could find potential use in a variety of applications in the field of electro-active materials.

Mots clés: ionic liquids; rheology; gels; polymers; self-assembly

Domaines: Polymères

Hassan Srour, Olivier Ratel, Mathieu Leocmach, Emma A. Adams, Sandrine Denis-Quanquin, et al.. Mediating Gel Formation from Structurally Controlled Poly(Electrolytes) Through Multiple “Head-to-Body” Electrostatic Interactions. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2015, 36 (1), pp.55-59. ⟨10.1002/marc.201400478⟩. ⟨hal-01112937⟩