화학공학소재연구정보센터
Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.17, No.8, 509-515, 1996
Thermally switchable polyrotaxane as a model of stimuli-responsive supramolecules for nano-scale devices
A polyrotaxane consisting of many P-cyclodextrins (beta-CDs) and a triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) capped with bulky end-groups was synthesized as a model of stimuli-responsive supramolecules for nanoscale devices. The polyrotaxane was reversibly soluble-insoluble in water in response to temperature. This was achieved through the assembled and dispersed states of beta-CDs along the block copolymer. It is considered that intermolecular hydrogen bondings of beta-CDs, as well as the PEG segment length of the copoloymer, are predominant factors for regulating such thermally switchable behavior of the polyrotaxane.