Synthesis and characterization of complexes between poly(itaconic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) Simonida Lj. Tomić, Jovanka M. Filipović (✉) Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade University, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro e-mail: jfil@tmf.bg.ac.yu ; fax: +381-11-3370-387 Received: 4 October 2004 / Revised version: 4 October 2004 / Accepted: 7 October 2004 Published online: 27 October 2004 – © Springer-Verlag 2004 Summary Interpolymer complexes of poly(itaconic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PIA/PEG) were prepared by two different procedures: simple mixing of preformed PIA and PEG and by polymerization of itaconic acid on poly(ethylene glycol) as a template. Complex formation was attributed to hydrogen bond formation between the carboxyl group of PIA and the ether group of PEG. The two types of complexes were characterized by viscometric measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and adhesive force measurements. The results indicate that complexes prepared by template polymerization have a stronger hydrogen bonding and hence more ordered structure and better mucoadhesive properties. Introduction Complexation between synthetic polymers has been extensively investigated. The association in these complexes can occur by ionic or hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interaction etc. [1]. The formation of interpolymer complexes by the interaction of a proton acceptor and a proton donor polymer in aqueous solution has been studied by many groups. These complexes are of great significance as models of biological systems, such as the formation of two- or three-stranded polynucleotides, supermolecular assemblies in virus shells, and muscle contraction, where hydrogen bonds play an important role. During the last few decades, considerable effort has been devoted to the study of association of poly(acrylic-) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PAA, PMAA) with nonionic polybases, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polyacrylamide (PAM), etc [2-7]. It has been claimed that such complexation involves 'non-interrupted linear sequences of bonds' (or non-interrupted ladder structures) between continuous monomer residues of the hydrogen bonded donor and acceptor polymers [8]. Template or matrix polymerization [9] is defined as a polymerization in which chain propagation occurs along a preformed template, i.e. a polymer, added to the reaction system. The presence of the template may influence the polymerization kinetics (e.g. polymerization rate, activation energy, reaction order with respect to monomer and Polymer Bulletin 52, 355–364 (2004) DOI 10.1007/s00289-004-0298-5