Responsive Thiolactone-DerivedN-Substituted Poly(Urethane-Amide)s

AB′ type monomers containing a thiolactone unit and vinyl ether moiety have been prepared with high yields. Aminolysis of the thiolactone moiety generates the corresponding thiol in situ, and upon UV-irradiation, radical polyaddition occurs in the same medium, yielding linear poly(amide-urethane)s with different side chain residues and (Poly(Ethylene Oxide)) PEO-like backbone. Moreover, these unique polymers feature lower critical solution temperature behavior in water. Systematic modification of the responsive polymers reveals the influence of the variation of the side chains and the backbone structure on the corresponding solubility properties. In selected cases, multiresponsive polymers have been developed, which also respond to pH and metal concentration.