Selective quaternization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate residues in tertiary amine methacrylate diblock copolymers

2-(Dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMA) was block copolymerized in turn w ith three other tertiary amine methacrylate comonomers, namely, 2-(diethyla mino)ethyl methacrylate (DEA), 2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DPA) , and 2-(N-morpholino)ethyl methacrylate (MEMA), using group transfer polym erization. The DMA residues of each of these diblock copolymers were select ively quaternized using both methyl iodide and benzyl chloride under mild c onditions to yield a series of novel cationic diblock copolymers that exhib it reversible pH-, salt-, and temperature-induced micellization in aqueous media.