Sucrose Methacrylate‐Based Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Amphiphilic block copolymers based on sucrose methacrylate (SMA) and alkyl methacrylates (alkyl  =  ethyl, butyl, and hexyl) are synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization, employing CuBr/CuBr2/2,2,2-tribromoethanol/1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine as a catalyst/deactivator/initiator/ligand system. Poly(alkyl methacrylate)s with similar polymerization degrees are used as macroinitiators for SMA polymerization. The introduction of PSMA blocks with molar mass varying from 2000 to 12 000 g mol−1 results in changes in the solubility, thermal stability, and water swelling capacity. The copolymers are able to stabilize water/oil emulsion and also to self-assemble in solution, as verified by gel permeation chromatography and dynamic light scattering, as well as in solid state, as verified by atomic force microscopy.