Design of Thermoresponsive Materials by ATRP of Oligo(ethylene glycol)-based (Macro)monomers

It was recently demonstrated that synthetic polymers containing a hydrophobic backbone and short hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) side-chains may exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in aqueous medium. In particular, polymers constructed with oligo(ethylene glycol) acrylates or methacrylates seem particularly promising. Indeed, these oligo(ethylene glycol) (macro)monomers are often commercially available and can be easily polymerized by reversible addition-fragmentation transfer polymerization (RAFT) or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The latter technique is very versatile and allows the rational design of a wide variety of stimuli-responsive materials. For example, in the present chapter, some examples of thermoresponsive hydrogels, polymeric micelles and planar substrates are presented.