Thermoresponsive polysilsesquioxane grafted methacrylate polymer with a methoxyethylamide group

A methacrylate monomer, having an N-(2-methoxyethyl)methylamino group and urea bond, was newly prepared. The methacrylate monomer was used for graft polymerization from polysilsesquioxane containing the dimethyl dithiocarbamate group as the initiator specie to provide thermoresponsive property. The grafted product showed hydrophobic aggregation at 30 °C in an aqueous solution. Copolymerization with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate was also examined to introduce the additional functional group.