Synthesis of polymers with densely-grafted oligo(ethylene glycol)s by Pd-initiated polymerization of oxyethylene-containing diazoacetatesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: 1H NMR spectra, turbidity measurements, and DSC thermograms of OEG-containing polymers. See DOI: 10.1039/c5py01378j

• Main Authors: Shimomoto, Hiroaki, Shimizu, Kohta, Takeda, Chiharu, Kikuchi, Misaki, Kudo, Tomohiko, Mukai, Hiroto, Itoh, Tomomichi, Ihara, Eiji, Hoshikawa, Naohiro, Koiwai, Akihiko, Hasegawa, Naoki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1759-9954; 1759-9962
• DOI: 10.1039/c5py01378j

Synthesis and characterization of polymers with densely-grafted oligo(ethylene glycol)s (OEGs) are described. Polymerization of OEG-containing diazoacetates with (η 3 -C 3 H 5 )PdCl-based initiating systems afforded C-C main chain polymers bearing OEGs on each main chain carbon atom. The polymers with a short OEG side chain showed a lower critical solution temperature-type phase separation in an aqueous medium; the transition temperatures were higher than those of the corresponding vinyl polymers with the same oxyethylene chain length. In addition, the Li-ion conductivity was examined to reveal that the polymers with densely-grafted OEGs showed higher values than the corresponding vinyl polymers, despite the fact that no significant difference in the glass transition temperature was observed between the two types of polymers. The polymers with densely-grafted OEGs showed higher LCSTs and Li-ion conductivities than the corresponding vinyl polymers.