Cyclodextrins in polymer synthesis: Free radical polymerization of cyclodextrin complexes with N-methacryloyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid or N-methacryloyl-1-aminononane as guest monomers

The hydrophobic monomers N-methacryloyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid (I) or N-me thacryloyl-1-aminononane (2) were incorporated as guests into the cavity of heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (Me-2-beta-CD) as a host, yiel ding the water compatible monomers N-methacryloyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid/M e-2-beta-CD-complex (1a) and N-methacryloyl-1-aminononane/Me-2-beta-CD comp lex (2a). These complexes were polymerized radically in aqueous medium. The resulting polymers 1b and 2b which were obtained from the complexes 1a and 2a, are insoluble in water because of the unthreading of the cyclodextrin during the polymerization. The polymerization rate of la and 2a is high in comparison to the rate of the uncomplexed monomers 1 and 2 in solution. In addition, also the yields and viscosities of the polymers Ib, 2b prepared f rom complexed monomers in water are significantly higher than to the corres ponding values of polymers 1c, 2c prepared in solution.