Double brush copolymers (DBCs) with each graft site quantitatively carrying two different grafts have been established as a new class of nanostructured Janus copolymers. The earliest examples of DBCs were prepared by tandem living anionic polymerization (LAP) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). However, this synthetic approach is significantly restricted from stringent conditions and narrow monomer scope of LAP. Recently, new synthetic approaches have been developed to afford a broad variety of well-defined DBCs by tandem living radical polymerization (LRP), ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and ROMP. Their Janus morphologies were visualized by TEM imaging, providing direct evidence to verify them as Janus nanomaterials. DBCs with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic grafts can effectively stabilize biphastic systems, and miniemulsions using these JDBCs as surfactants exhibited remarkably high stability. Moreover, amphiphilic JDBCs with functional graft ends were utilized as reactive surfactant for the emulsion-based preparation of nanomaterials.

New class of nanostructured Janus copolymers: Double-brush copolymers

247th National Meeting (2014)

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