pH Sensitive supramolecular assembling system between a new linear water soluble β-cyclodextrin terpolymer and an amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)

A linear water soluble β-cyclodextrin terpolymer (P(MVE-AM)-g-βCD) was synthesized by grafting different amounts of βCD on the copolymer P(MVE-AM). The resulting terpolymer showed a pH sensitive behaviour in aqueous solution, due to the presence of carboxylic acid groups. Whatever the substitution degree in βCD, the terpolymer behaved like a polyacid at pH 7, and had neutral properties at pH 2. The mixture of P(MVE-AM)-g-βCD with an amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-Ad3) showed an associative phase separation influenced by the pH and concentration of the medium. In the dilute range and intermediate range, associative phase separations were induced reversibly by decreasing the pH from 7 to 2. The results in the semi-dilute range showed that networks were elaborated with much stronger dynamic modulus at low pH (pH 2) than at higher pH (pH 7). Coupled inclusion complex interactions (between the adamantyl groups of PEO-Ad3 and the cyclodextrin cavities of P(MVE-AM)-g-βCD) with hydrogen bonding (between carboxylic acid groups and PEO backbone) could be a way to modulate the strength of the interactions in supramolecular assemblies. These results suggest that the mixture of P(MVE-AM)-g-βCD with PEO-Ad3 could be a potential pH sensitive system.