Precisely Alternating Functionalized Polyampholytes Prepared in a Single Pot from Sustainable Thiolactone Building...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Polyampholytes are polymers with both cationic and anionic groups.
• Developing sustainable and versatile polyampholytes is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel polyampholytes with precisely alternating cationic and anionic functional groups.
• To investigate the impact of functional groups on polymer properties and solution behavior.

Main Methods:

• One-pot synthesis at room temperature in water using thiolactone building blocks.
• Ring-opening polymerization of N-maleamic acid-functionalized homocysteine thiolactone.
• Characterization of polyampholyte solubility, isoelectric points, and temperature-dependent behavior.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared alternating polyampholytes via a sustainable, one-pot method.
• Introduced diverse functional groups through monomer ring-opening, enabling ionic and hydrogen bonding.
• Achieved tunable isoelectric points and high water solubility across various pH and ionic strengths.
• Demonstrated tunable upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in water/ethanol mixtures based on functional group content.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides a sustainable route to functional polyampholytes.
• The synthesized polyampholytes exhibit versatile properties, including tunable solubility and thermal behavior.
• These findings expand the potential applications of polyampholytes in various fields.