Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.23, No.1, 55-58, 2002
Cyclodextrins in polymer synthesis: Photoinitiated free-radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide in water initiated by a methylated beta-cyclodextrin/2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one host/guest complex
Methylated beta-cyclodextrin (Me-beta-CD) was used to complex a free-radical photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one (1), yielding the water soluble 1:1 host/guest complex 1a. The structure of complex 1a was verified by means of IR, UV/vis and H-1 NMR spectroscopy. The influence of Me-beta-CD as the host on the photopolymerization kinetics of N-isopropylacrylamide was studied. Compared to the photopolymerization carried out under nearly identical conditions but without cyclodextrin, an increase in the polymerization rate was registered in the presence of complex 1a.