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EPSRC Reference: GR/N17409/01
Title: SYNTHESIS OF COMPLEX MACROMOLECULAR NANOSTRUCTURES VIA ATOM TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERISATION IN AQUEOUS MEDIA
Principal Investigator: Armes, Professor SP
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Sussex
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 July 2000 Ends: 31 January 2003 Value (£): 119,897
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
With the aid of a one-year ROPA PDRA (GR/M32795), we have shown that Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation (ATRP) in aqueous media is an excellent technique for the facile, controlled homopolymerisation of a wide range of hydrophilic monomers under mild and environmentally-friendly conditions. We wish to build on these very promising preliminary studies to prepare novel complex macromolecular architectures and structures. In particular, we will prepare a series of zwitterionic block and statistical copolymers directly, without using protecting group chemistry. These copolymers are expected to exhibit interesting aqueous solution properties, eg isoelectric point-induced micellisation, reverse micellisation etc. More complex synthetic targets include a one-port synthesis of shell cross-linked micelles at high solids in water and synthetic 'vesicles' using tailor-made triblock copolymer emulsifiers. These complex nanostructures will be extensively characterised using light scattering, NMR spectroscopy, aqueous electrophoresis and electron microscopy. We will also address the problem of copper catalyst removal in ATRP and explore the possibility of ligandless ATRP using Fe-based catalysts. A three-year PDRA is requested for this ambitious synthetic programme.
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Organisation Website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk