Ferrocene-Functionalized Hydrophobically Modified Ethoxylated Urethane: Redox-Responsive Controlled Self-Assembly and...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymers exhibit unique associative behaviors in solution.
• Stimuli-responsive polymers offer tunable properties for advanced applications.
• Ferrocene derivatives can undergo reversible redox reactions, altering their properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of redox-induced hydrophobicity changes on Fc-HEUR polymer self-assembly.
• To explore the rheological consequences of these changes in aqueous solutions.
• To demonstrate reversible control over polymer associative structures and fluid properties.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ferrocene-functionalized hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (Fc-HEUR) polymers.
• Investigation of polymer self-assembly using various techniques.
• Rheological measurements to assess solution properties under different redox states.

Main Results:

• Fc-HEUR polymers exhibit reversible self-assembly into micelles and larger aggregates in response to redox stimuli.
• Redox reactions induce immediate disassembly and reassembly of polymer structures.
• Significant changes in rheological properties (viscoelastic to viscous liquid) were observed between reduced and oxidized states.

Conclusions:

• Redox-responsive polymers can reversibly control self-assembly and rheology.
• The study provides insights into thickening mechanisms of stimuli-responsive HEURs.
• Potential applications include drug delivery, catalyst supports, sensors, and microfluidic devices.