Temperature-Responsive Polymers

Chapter 6 Multi‐stimuli‐responsive Polymers Based on Calix[4]arenes and Dibenzo‐18‐crown‐6‐ethers

Szymon Wiktorowicz Heikki Tenhu and Vladimir Aseyev

Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland

6.1 Introduction

A modern‐day chemist has acquired an extensive tool‐kit that allows for the preparation of a variety of advanced macromolecular architectures and the creation of new technological processes. Thus, living polymerization (anionic, cationic, free radical, ring opening) offers the possibility of producing complicated structural design (block, comb, brush, star, ring co‐ and homopolymers). The evolution of controlled radical polymerization methods (atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)) has greatly improved the control over structure and polydispersity [1]. The polymer properties can further be enhanced by modifying the monomers prior to or post‐polymerization by, e.g. using click protocols [2] such as 1,3‐Huisgen dipolar cycloaddition between an azide and alkyne species, thiol‐ene [3] and thiol‐yne [4], and Diels–Alder cycloaddition reactions [5].

Along with the development in synthetic methods, new processing techniques and applications have emerged. Self‐assembly of block copolymers has attracted attention in the field of nanotechnology as a means of patterning surfaces in the sub‐50 nm region [6]. This potentially provides further reduction in size of microcircuits ...