Temperature-Responsive Polymers

Chapter 15Catalysis by Thermoresponsive Polymers

Natalya A. Dolya¹ and Sarkyt E. Kudaibergenov^2,3

¹Leibnitz Institute of Polymer Chemistry, Dresden 01069, Germany

²Laboratory of Engineering Profile, K.I. Satpayev Kazakh National Research Technical University, Almaty 050013, Kazakhstan

³Institute of Polymer Materials and Technology, Almaty 050013, Kazakhstan

15.1 Introduction

Stimuli‐responsive polymers have achieved increasing attention of researches due to the ability to change the properties as a function of temperature, pH, ionic strength, humidity, light, and electrical and magnetic fields. Immobilization of polymer–metal complexes, metal nanoparticles, and biomolecules within the polymeric matrix is promising to design the catalytic systems that enhance the reactions of decomposition, hydrogenation, oxidation, isomerization, etc. [1]. These polymers can change the conformation and morphology continuously or discontinuously in dependence of environmental factors. This in its turn allows to tune the structure and properties of immobilized into the polymeric matrix and consequently to regulate and control their architecture as well as catalytic behavior. An important role of stimuli‐sensitive polymers in recyclable catalytic systems for organic synthesis was outlined in [2].

Among the stimuli‐responsive materials, the thermosensitive polymers have enormous potential applications in catalysis. Thermoresponsive polymers loaded with catalytically active particles or decorated with organic ...