Double-Hydrophilic Block Copolymers Forming Intramolecular Polycomplexes N. M. Permyakova 1 , T. B. Zheltonozhskaya 1 , and N. V. Oboznova 1 Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Macromolecular Chemistry, Kyiv, Ukraine Double-hydrophilic block copolymers containing the charged blocks of poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) and the neutral blocks of monomethyl ether of poly(ethylene oxide) (MEPEO) are synthesized by a free radical block copolymerization of PAAc with monomethyl ether of poly(ethylene glycol) of various molecular weights (M vMEPEG ¼ 1.110 3 –510 3 ). It is revealed that the block copolymerization has a matrix character because non-covalent interactions of propagating PAAc chains with MEPEG. This fact points out the formation of intramolecular polycomplexes in the given diblock copolymers. The MEPEO-b-PAAc copolymers obtained are characterized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Keywords: diblock copolymer; dynamic matrix effect; hydrogen bonds; intramolecular polycomplex; poly(acrylic acid) INTRODUCTION Double-hydrophilic block copolymers composed of two water-soluble polymers of different chemical nature are perspective polymer materi- als [1,2]. Their chemical structure may be tuned for a wide range of applications covering such different aspects as the stabilization of col- loids, the micelle formation, and the complexation with drugs by elec- trostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds towards to novel drug delivery systems [1]. At the same time, the double-hydrophilic block copolymers with the system of cooperative hydrogen bonds between proton-donor blocks such as carboxylic polyacids and proton-accepting blocks such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or its monoethers are of Address correspondence to N. M. Permyakova, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Macromolecular Chemistry, 60, Volodymyrs’ka Str., Kyiv 01033, Ukraine. E-mail: permyakova@ukr.net Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., Vol. 497, pp. 307=[639]–315=[647], 2008 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1542-1406 print=1563-5287 online DOI: 10.1080/15421400802463704 307=[639] BACK TO CONTENTS