Magnetically Recyclable Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron-Mediated Photordrp in Ionic Liquid Towards Smart, Functional Polymers.

A facile method based on recyclable nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI)-mediated photoinduced reversible deactivation radical polymerization (photoRDRP) in ionic liquid led to syn-thesis of narrow disperse poly(tert-butyl methacrylate), amphiphilic poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-block-poly(poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate) (PTBMA-b-PPEGMA) diblock copolymer and double hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid)-block-poly(poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate) (PMAA-b-PPEGMA) diblock copolymers thereof. Stimuli response of the synthesized PMAA-b-PPEGMA diblock copolymer against variation in pH, and temperature is assessed. Recyclability of the nZVI (catalyst) and ionic liquid (solvent) is established. Polymerization may be switched ON or OFF, simply by turning the UVA light irradiation ON or OFF, offering temporal control. The diblock copolymer self-aggregated into spherical nanoaggregates which were employed for encapsulation of coumarin 102 (a typical hydrophobic dye), describing their potential application in drug delivery applications. The facile synthesis strategy might open up new avenues for the preparation of intelligent functional polymers for engineering and biomedical applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.