Synthesis of new amphiphilic and lypophilic polymer networks containing 2-methyl- and 2-nonyl-2-oxazoline by the macroinitiator method

New amphiphilic and lypophilic polymer networks were obtained by the copolymerization of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline (MeOXA), and/or 2-nonyl-2-oxazoline (NoOXA) and 2,2'-tetramethylenebis(2-oxazoline) (BisOXA), respectively, initiating the copolymerization by random copolymers of chloromethylstyrene and methyl methacrylate or of chloromethylstyrene and styrene (macroinitiator method). Potassium iodide was used as an activator agent and the reaction was carried out in benzonitrile at 110 °C. In general, the polymer gels were obtained with a yield of 62 to 88%. The networks were characterized by high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) NMR spectroscopy and by its absorption of polar and nonpolar solvents. In the case of amphiphilic polymer networks, the absorption of solvents depends on the molar ratio of 2-methyl- to 2-nonyl-2-oxazoline inside the polymer network favoring the absorption of polar solvents with a higher content of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline. These gels showed a maximal swelling degree of 13 mL of water, 20 mL of methanol, and 13 mL of chloroform, respectively, per g of polymer. The lypophilic polymer networks containing only 2-nonyl-2-oxazoline showed a maximal swelling degree of 8 mL of toluene, 14 mL of chloroform, and 2 mL of methanol, respectively, per g of the lypophilic network. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.