Synthesis of novel well-defined poly(vinylamine)-based copolymers by controlled polymerization

Metal binding, pH sensitivity and polyelectrolytes complexation are key characteristics of amine-containing polymers. Among them, poly(vinylamine)s presenting high amine densities are particularly useful in many fields such as coatings , water purification and gas membrane separation. The properties of such polymers strongly depend on the nature of the amines and can thus be adjusted by incorporating different types of amines along the backbone. In this perspective, we developed a strategy for synthesizing poly(vinylamine)-based (co)polymers containing primary and secondary amines as well as imidazole moieties in predictable proportions. First, radical (co)polymerizations of N-vinylacetamide, N-methylvinylacetamide and vinylimidazole were performed followed by deprotection of the amine functions via acidic hydrolysis of the pendant amides. We determined the reactivity ratios of each comonomer pairs and developed the corresponding Skeist’s model, allowing the prediction of the copolymer compositions and distributions. Following this straightforward approach, novel amine-containing copolymers with predictable and precise compositions were made available and should contribute in the future to the development of the above-mentioned applications.