Themed collection Trends in Thermoresponsive Polymers: from Chemistry to Applications

Theoni K. Georgiou, Richard Hoogenboom and Akihiko Kikuchi introduce the Polymer Chemistry themed collection on trends in thermoresponsive polymers: from chemistry to applications.

This review discusses the structural features of polycations, which make them thermoresponsive, showing either LCST or UCST behavior. The role of hydrophobic counter ions is of particular interest.

The review focuses on the assembly and application of five thermo-responsive block copolymers containing one or two thermo-responsive blocks, and aims to provide an overview to guide the design of these copolymers and stimulate more applications.

The position of the monomers within the polymer chain and the 3D structure of the polymer affect the thermoresponsive properties.

Polymers does not only show phase transition in aqueous solutions but they also do in organic solvents, which is the focus of this review article.

NIPAAm and fluorescein o-acrylate are copolymerized on glass beads to develop multiresponsive heterogeneous photocatalysts that exhibit structural changes at elevated temperatures and alter their photocatalytic performance in wastewater remediation.

Responsive polymeric nanoparticles are an exciting field of study, yet little is known about the temperature sensitivity of those based on tertiary amine methacrylate block copolymers.

Poly(N,N-bis(2-ethoxyethyl)acrylamide) (PEOEAm), a new thermoresponsive polyacrylamide, has been studied from the perspectives of synthesis and thermal phase transition.

The activity of a DNAzyme is enhanced by entrapment in cooling-inducible liquid droplets of UCST-type ureido polymers.

ThFFF with multiple detection enables monitoring the transformation of block copolymers into single chain nanoparticles stabilized by a shell (SCNP-shell). The SCNP-shell are in dynamic equilibrium with multiple chain nanoparticles.

Nanogels with cleavable crosslinking points allow for nanostructure modification and functionalization with α-oxoaldehydes (glyoxylic groups).

Synthesis of amino acid-derived vinyl polymers with precisely controlled hydropathy by ultra-rapid reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and their thermoresponsive behavior in water.

Incorporation of a strongly hydrophobic component as a crosslinking point enables reversibility control of property change of thermoresponsive hydrogels.

A prediction model for cloud point was built by a combination of materials informatics and chemical insight.

Aqueous solubility of poly(methylamide acrylate)s can be altered via modulation of the side chain spacer length between the polymer backbone and pendant amide functionality whereby a butyl spacer is sufficient to induce LCST behaviour (P(MAmBA)).

We present the synthesis of different amine-functionalised poly(2-oxazoline)s, their dual pH and temperature response as well as their capability to as promising stimuli responsive drug delivery vectors.

A method for the syntheses of thermoresponsive amphiphilic diblock copolymers through sequential organocatalyzed polymerizations using group transfer polymerization (GTP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP), respectively, is described.

Herein, we report the self-assembly and salt-induced thermoresponsive properties of amphiphilic random terpolymers consisting of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and quaternary ammonium cations, and hydrophobic dodecyl groups in water.

Effects of primary amino group of methacrylamides on the polymerization and polymer pH- and thermosresponsiveness were investigated.

Structural characterisation of thermoresponsive polymer brushes in binary DMSO–water mixtures reveals both LCST and UCST behaviour.

Thermoresponsive behavior of stereoisomers of a dense triazole polymer was studied; mixtures of the isotactic one underwent thermoresponsive gel-to-sol transition, and aqueous solutions of the syndiotactic one underwent LCST-type phase transition.

The development of multiphase polymer networks by semi-IPNs composed of homologous polymers using poly(ε-caprolactone).

Obtaining deuterated microgels is essential to characterize their architecture and determine their response to crowding using neutron scattering. Here, we explain the effect of deuteration on the phase transition temperature.

The effects of the molecular structure on the temperature-responsive sol-to-gel transition behavior and neat morphology of the block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ε-caprolactone-co-glycolic acid) were systematically investigated.

Synthesis of (Me)PEG–PM block copolymers from a sustainable source, (−)-menthone, and their thermoresponsive characteristics.

Thermoresponsive star-shaped polymer with heteroarm type with methacrylates was prepared by living radical polymerization method with ruthenium catalyst. The effect of the arm structures was also investigated.

We investigate the effect of different anions on the temperature-dependent solution properties of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) microgels carrying alkylated ionic liquid vinylimidazolium moieties synthesized by a pre- and post-functionalization approach.

P(DEGMA-co-DIPAEMA) hyperbranched copolymers self-assemble into large polymeric aggregates in aqueous media, when the amino groups of DIPAEMA segments are fully protonated at extreme temperatures (25 °C and 55 °C).

We report a facile and efficient approach to prepare multifunctional bioinspired platforms under mild conditions that offer increased catalytic efficiency and stability.

Hydrogels based on acylhydrazone end-linked Tetronic T904 four-armed amphiphilic star block copolymers show thermally-induced aqueous self-assembly and toughening, and cross-link dissociation and association traceable via simple ¹H NMR spectroscopy.

Polymer architecture allows control of thermoreversible gelation in branched copolymer-stabilised emulsions.

Water-soluble copolymers display both UCST and LCST thermosensitivity in aqueous solution due to pH-determined hydrogen bonding between comonomer units, and their hydrogels can be used for information recording and encryption/decryption.

Dendronized polymers exhibit the confinement of guest proteins through crowding effects, which is tunable through their thermoresponsiveness. This confinement affords the proteins enhanced thermal stability and can modulate their bioactivity.