title: Free radical homopolymerization of a vinylferrocene/cyclodextrin complex in water.
abstract: We report the radical initiated homopolymerization of a soluble vinylferrocene cyclodextrin-complex in water. Uncomplexed vinylferrocene 1 and the corresponding homopolymer are hydrophobic and completely insoluble in water. Complexation of 1 with methyl-β-cyclodextrin 2 results in clearly water-soluble structures due to incorporation of the ferrocene moiety into the cyclodextrin cavity. After free radical polymerization of the water-soluble complexed monomer, corresponding to polyvinylferrocene (PVFc), the water-soluble polymer is obtained due to the host guest interactions. Those polymeric complexes are stable in water up to about 90 °C. Above this temperature the polymer precipitates due to decomplexation. The complex was investigated by ¹H NMR spectrometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) measurements.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry II, Heinrich-Heine-University of Duesseldorf, Universitaetsstrasse 1, D-40225 Duesseldorf, Germany. H.Ritter@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Beate E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Mondrzik
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rehahn
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallei