Poly(methacrylic acid)

PMAA has a pKa of ~4.8, meaning that at neutral pH the MAA groups in the network are almost entirely deprotonated making it an anionic polymer. PMAA can act as a polyelectrolyte and has the ability to absorb and retain water. These properties are strongly affected by the pH and therefore many hydrogels are composed of PMAA copolymers.{{cite journal |last1=Bell |first1=Cristi L. |last2=Peppas |first2=Nicholas A. |title=Poly(Methacrylic Acid-g-Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels as pH Responsive Biomedical Materials |journal=MRS Proceedings |date=15 February 2011 |volume=331 |doi=10.1557/PROC-331-199}}{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Jing |title=Synthesis and Characterization of pH- and Temperature-Sensitive Poly(methacrylic acid)/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Interpenetrating Polymeric Networks |journal=Macromolecules |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=102–107 |doi=10.1021/ma991398q|year=2000 |bibcode=2000MaMol..33..102Z }} These hydrogel capsules can act as carrier vessels for confined drugs and act as microreactor reservoirs.{{cite journal |title=Poly(Methacrylic Acid) Polymer Hydrogel Capsules: Drug Carriers, Sub‐compartmentalized Microreactors, Artificial Organelles |journal=Small |volume=6 |issue=20 |pages=2201–2207 |doi=10.1002/smll.201000765|pmid=20721952 |year=2010 |last1=Zelikin |first1=Alexander N. |last2=Price |first2=Andrew D. |last3=Städler |first3=Brigitte }} For certain applications the sodium salt form of PMAA is used, in order to minimize side effects occurring from the anionic charge of the polymer or in applications where solubility in different solvents is required.

The conventional synthesis method of PMAA is free radical polymerization. In aqueous solution, substantial differences have been described in the polymerization rate of non-ionized and fully ionized MAA (pH effect). For the non-ionized scenario, a kinetic model has been well described.{{cite journal |last1=Blauer |first1=G. |title=Polymerization of methacrylic acid at pH 4 to 11 |journal=Transactions of the Faraday Society |date=1960 |volume=56 |pages=606 |doi=10.1039/TF9605600606}} Recent progress has been made for (partially) ionized MAA by introducing a new rate law for propagation where electrostatic and non-electrostatic effects are explicitly considered.{{cite journal |last1=Fischer |first1=Eric J. |last2=Storti |first2=Giuseppe |last3=Cuccato |first3=Danilo |title=Aqueous Free-Radical Polymerization of Non-Ionized and Fully Ionized Methacrylic Acid |journal=Processes |date=27 April 2017 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=23 |doi=10.3390/pr5020023|doi-access=free |hdl=10044/1/55176 |hdl-access=free }} In addition, the rate constant of propagation (kp) during free radical polymerization of methacrylic acid is dependent on the monomer concentration. Using pulsed layer polymerization size-exclusion chromatography techniques, it was determined that there is a minor decrease in kp for partially ionized MAA as monomer concentration increases while kp increases for fully ionized MAA as monomer concentration increases. The latter is in accordance with transition state theory for propagation.

Controlled polymerization techniques, such as RAFT and NMP can be used for the direct polymerization of MAA.{{cite journal |last1=Hill |first1=Megan R. |last2=Carmean |first2=R. Nicholas |last3=Sumerlin |first3=Brent S. |title=Expanding the Scope of RAFT Polymerization: Recent Advances and New Horizons |journal=Macromolecules |date=28 July 2015 |volume=48 |issue=16 |pages=5459–5469 |doi=10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00342|bibcode=2015MaMol..48.5459H }}{{cite journal |last1=Chaduc |first1=Isabelle |last2=Lansalot |first2=Muriel |last3=D’Agosto |first3=Franck |last4=Charleux |first4=Bernadette |title=RAFT Polymerization of Methacrylic Acid in Water |journal=Macromolecules |date=26 January 2012 |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=1241–1247 |doi=10.1021/ma2023815|bibcode=2012MaMol..45.1241C }}{{cite journal |last1=Couvreur |first1=Laurence |last2=Lefay |first2=Catherine |last3=Belleney |first3=Joël |last4=Charleux |first4=Bernadette |last5=Guerret |first5=Olivier |last6=Magnet |first6=Stéphanie |title=First Nitroxide-Mediated Controlled Free-Radical Polymerization of Acrylic Acid |journal=Macromolecules |date=November 2003 |volume=36 |issue=22 |pages=8260–8267 |doi=10.1021/ma035043p|bibcode=2003MaMol..36.8260C }} In contrast, polymerization of acidic monomers, such as MAA, has traditionally posed a challenge with, for example, anionic polymerization, group transfer polymerization (GTP, see living polymerization) and ATRP.{{cite journal |last1=Rannard |first1=S.P. |last2=Billingham |first2=N.C. |last3=Armes |first3=S.P. |last4=Mykytiuk |first4=J. |title=Synthesis of monodisperse block copolymers containing methacrylic acid segments by group-transfer polymerization: choice of protecting group and catalyst |journal=European Polymer Journal |date=February 1993 |volume=29 |issue=2–3 |pages=407–414 |doi=10.1016/0014-3057(93)90112-S}}{{cite journal |last1=Howse |first1=Jonathan R. |last2=Topham |first2=Paul |last3=Crook |first3=Colin J. |last4=Gleeson |first4=Anthony J. |last5=Bras |first5=Wim |last6=Jones |first6=Richard A. L. |last7=Ryan |first7=Anthony J. |title=Reciprocating Power Generation in a Chemically Driven Synthetic Muscle |journal=Nano Letters |date=January 2006 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=73–77 |doi=10.1021/nl0520617|pmid=16402790 |bibcode=2006NanoL...6...73H }} The latter is not currently well understood but reasons hypothesized include ligand protonation at low pH, competitive coordination of carboxylate moieties to the copper and displacement of halide anions from the Cu(II) deactivator complex. Protecting group chemistry is commonly used for the polymerization of acidic monomers (using alkyl esters),{{cite journal |last1=Rannard |first1=S.P. |last2=Billingham |first2=N.C. |last3=Armes |first3=S.P. |last4=Mykytiuk |first4=J. |title=Synthesis of monodisperse block copolymers containing methacrylic acid segments by group-transfer polymerization: choice of protecting group and catalyst |journal=European Polymer Journal |date=February 1993 |volume=29 |issue=2–3 |pages=407–414 |doi=10.1016/0014-3057(93)90112-S}} followed by deprotection and purification, but other methods have also been explored. PMAA cyclization proved to be the main cause of termination,{{cite journal |title=Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer for Atom‐Transfer Radical Polymerization of (Meth)acrylates and Related Block Copolymers |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition|volume=45|issue=27|pages=4482–4486|doi=10.1002/anie.200600272|pmid=16770821|year=2006|last1=Jakubowski|first1=Wojciech|last2=Matyjaszewski|first2=Krzysztof|doi-access=free}} and this was reduced by changing the leaving group and the nucleophile, lowering the pH to reduce concentration and carboxylate anions, and accelerating the rate of polymerization. This work overcame one of the main limitations in ATRP and showed that water can be used as solvent for the polymerization of polar monomers using ATRP.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

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• Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)

Category:Organic polymers

Category:Acrylate polymers