CONTROL OF POLYMER SURFACE MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE VIA AMPHIPATHIC ENDGROUPS

• US 20100113711A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polymer Technology Group, Inc. (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Original Assignee: Polymer Technology Group, Inc. (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Inventors: Ward, Robert S., McCrea, Keith R., Parakka, James P., Tian, Yuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,884,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/420
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/18 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/0823 containing carboxylate salt groups or groups forming them
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/12 using two or more compounds having active hydrogen in the first polymerisation step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/283 Compounds containing ether groups, e.g. oxyalkylated monohydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/2865 Compounds having only one primary or secondary amino group; Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/289 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3228 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5024 containing primary and/or secondary amino groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5039 containing amide groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6283 Polymers of nitrogen containing compounds having carbon-to-carbon double bonds C08G18/6262, C08G18/6266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6287 Polymers of sulfur containing compounds having carbon-to-carbon double bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6795 Unsaturated polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

Polymers whose surfaces are modified by endgroups that include amphipathic surface-modifying moieties. An amphipathic endgroup of a polymer molecule is an endgroup that contains at least two moieties of significantly differing composition, such that the amphipathic endgroup spontaneously rearranges its positioning in a polymer body to position the moiety on the surface of the body, depending upon the composition of the medium with which the body is in contact, when that re-positioning causes a reduction in interfacial energy. An example of an amphipathic surface-modifying endgroup is one that has both a hydrophobic moiety and a hydrophilic moiety in a single endgroup. For instance, a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) terminated with a hydrophilic hydroxyl group is not surface active in air when the surface-modifying endgroup is bonded to a more hydrophobic base polymer. If the hydroxyl group on the oligomeric poly(ethylene oxide) is replaced by a hydrophobic methoxy ether terminus, the poly(ethylene oxide) becomes surface active in air, and allows the poly(ethylene oxide) groups to crystallize in the air-facing surface. In this example, immersion in water destroys the crystallinity as the poly(ethylene oxide) sorbs water and the hydrophobic methoxy group retreats below the surface of the polymer. Also disclosed are methods and articles of manufacture that make use of these polymers.

Claims

1. A polymeric composition of matter having the formula

A_pA′

_1-p[BCD]_nZ_qZ′

_1-q

wherein B is a polymer block, C is a polymer block that may be the same as or different from B, and D is a polymer block that may be the same as one of or different from both of B and C, n is a number from 5 through 10⁵, A is a surface active endgroup, A′

is a surface-modifying amphipathic moiety different from A, Z is a surface-modifying amphipathic moiety that may be the same as one of or different from both of A and A′

, and Z′

is a surface active endgroup that is different from Z but may be the same as one of or different from both of A and A′

, with the proviso that at least one of A′ and

Z is other than an alkylene ether-terminated poly(alkylene oxide), and p and q may be the same or different and each is a number from 0 through 1, wherein said polymeric composition of matter has a weight average molecular weight in the range 5000-5,000,000 daltons.

2. The polymeric composition of claim 1, having a weight average molecular weight in the range 50,000-5,000,000 daltons.

3. The polymeric composition of matter of claim 1, wherein A′

and Z are methoxy ether-terminated polyethylene oxides having one or more crosslinkable reactive groups or groups capable of binding biologically-active molecules along the polyethyleneoxide chain.

4. The polymeric composition of matter of claim 1, wherein D is the same as C, p is 0, q is 0, B is a polymeric block selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyureas, polyamides, aromatic polyesters, aromatic polycarbonates, polystyrenes, and polyacrylates, C is a polymeric block selected from the group consisting of polyethers, aliphatic polyesters, polyisoprenes, optionally-hydrogenated polyisoprenes, polyisobutylenes, optionally-hydrogenated polybutadienes, polyethylenebutylenes, and aliphatic polycarbonates, A is an endgroup selected from the group consisting of a polydimethylsiloxanes and poly(ethylene oxides), and Z is a methoxy ether-terminated polyethylene oxide which has one or more crosslinkable reactive groups or groups capable of binding biologically-active molecules along the polyethyleneoxide chain.

5. The polymeric composition of matter of claim 1, wherein D is the same as C which in turn is the same as B, or wherein D is the same as B and wherein C is different from B, or wherein p and q are both 1 and wherein A, B, C, D, and Z are all different from one another.

6. A block copolymer molecule in accordance with claim 1, having a polyurethane hard block, a polyoxyalkylene soft block, and at least two surface-modifying amphipathic moieties, wherein at least one of said moieties is a surface active endgroup having a chain that bears multiple pendant groups of different polarity or composition than the main chain of the surface active endgroup.

7. A polymer molecule in accordance with claim 1, comprising a polyoxyalkylene chain having at least one surface-modifying amphipathic moiety, wherein said moiety is a surface active hydrophilic endgroup having a chain bearing multiple pendant hydrophobic groups, wherein the polyoxyalkylene polymer comprising the at least one surface-modifying amphipathic moiety has a molecular weight in the range 5000-5,000,000 daltons.

8. A methoxy ether-terminated polyethyleneoxide polymer of claim 7, which has a plurality of acryloxy, methacryloxy, or other crosslinkable reactive groups along a polyethyleneoxide chain.

9. A methoxy ether-terminated polyethyleneoxide polymer of claim 7, which has a plurality of amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, or other groups capable of binding biologically-active molecules along a polyethyleneoxide chain.