Cellulose-g-PDMAam copolymers by controlled radical polymerization in homogeneous medium and their aqueous solution properties

Abstract Water-soluble cellulose- graft -PDMAam copolymers were prepared by single-electron-transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP). Cellulose based macroinitiator for SET-LRP with a degree of substitution DS ≈ 2 was synthesized from softwood dissolving pulp in a homogeneous LiCl/DMAc solution. The macroinitiator was then grafted using N , N -dimethyl acrylamide (DMAam) in DMSO. Formation of cellulose- g -DMAam copolymers were confirmed by ATR–FTIR, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy and SEC analyses. Light scattering and steady–shear viscosity measurements revealed that the studied chain length of grafts (DP graft ) had only minor effects on the solution properties of cellulose- g -PDMAam copolymers. SLS studies suggested a loose, solvent-draining architecture of the cellulose- g -PDMAam copolymer particles in H 2 O.