title: Fundamental molecular design for precise control of thermoresponsiveness of organic polymers by using ternary systems.
abstract: The de novo design of thermosensitive polymers in solution has been achieved by using the addition of small organic molecules (or "effectors"). Hydrogen bonding as an attractive polymer-polymer or polymer-effector interaction substantially dominates the responsivity, causing facile switching between LCST-type and UCST-type phase transitions, control of the transition temperature, and further coincidence of the two transitions. Small molecules having a high affinity for the polymer induce UCST-type phase behavior, whereas those having a low affinity for the polymer showed LCST-type phase behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amemori
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kokado
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sada