Impacts of Repeat Unit Structure and Copolymer Architecture on Thermal and Solution Properties in Homopolymers, Copolymers, and Copolymer Blends

Gradient copolymers are a relatively new type of copolymer architecture in which the distribution of comonomers gradually varies over the length of the copolymer chain, resulting in a number of unusual properties derived from the arrangement of repeat units. For example, nanophase-segregated gradient copolymers exhibit extremely broad glass transition temperatures (Tgs) resulting from the wide range of compositions present in the nanostructure. This dissertation presents a number of studies on how repeat unit structure and copolymer architecture dictate bulk and solution properties, specifically taking inspiration from the gradient copolymer architecture and comparing the response from this compositionally heterogeneous material to other more conventional materials.;The glass transition behavior of a range of common homopolymers was studied to determine the effects of subunit structure on Tg breadth, observing a significant increase in T g breadth with increasing side chain length in methacrylate-based homopolymers and random copolymers. Additionally, increasing the composition distribution of copolymers, either by blending individual random copolymers of different overall composition or synthesizing random copolymers to high conversion, resulted in significant increases to Tg breadth. Plasticization of homopolymers and random copolymers with low molecular weight additives also served to increase the Tg breadth; the most dramatic effect was observed in the selective plasticization of a styrene/4-vinylpyridine gradient copolymer with increases in T g breadth to values above 100 °C.;In addition, the effects of repeat unit structure and copolymer architecture on other polymer properties besides Tg were also investigated. The intrinsic fluorescence of styrene units in styrene-containing copolymers was studied, noting the impact of repeat unit structure and copolymer architecture on the resulting fluorescence spectra in solution. The impact of repeat unit structure on polymerization kinetics was analyzed, specifically the extent of chain transfer occurring during homopolymerization; an increase in the propensity for chain transfer and branching to occur for long and bulky methacrylate monomers was observed in comparison to methyl methacrylate. A comparison of stimuli-responsive copolymer architectures was also carried out, noting that the critical pH for micelle formation in pH-responsive copolymers could be shifted by as much as one pH unit through use of gradient sequencing.