Issue 88, 2017

Post-polymerization modification reactions of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s

Abstract

Post-polymerisation modification of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) through the nucleophilic ring opening reactions of the pendent epoxide groups allows for the installation of a variety of functionalities onto the reactive scaffold. The primary modification processes involve amine-epoxy, thiol–epoxy, azide-epoxy, acid-epoxy, and hydrolysis reactions. In all cases, sequential post-synthesis modification reactions can also be carried out if multiply-functionalised polymers are required. This, in particular, includes reactions of the hydroxyl group(s) that come into being through the initial oxirane ring-opening reaction. The overall flexibility of these functionalisations, coupled with the commercial availability of glycidyl methacrylate monomer, its controlled polymerisation behaviour through free radical polymerisation methods and high shelf life of the resulting polymers makes PGMA one of the most adaptable reactive scaffolds in polymer chemistry. In this review article, our aim is to discuss the fundamental aspects of the epoxy ring-opening reactions and highlight the utilitarian nature of PGMA by addressing the range of chemistry that has been used to transform this simple structure into a plethora of customised functional polymers.

Graphical abstract: Post-polymerization modification reactions of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
09 Oct 2017
Accepted
04 Dec 2017
First published
08 Dec 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2017,7, 55874-55884

Post-polymerization modification reactions of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s

Ezzah M. Muzammil, A. Khan and M. C. Stuparu, RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 55874 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA11093F

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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