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Self-Immolative Polymers As A Degradable And Triggerable Class Of Surfactants, Siamak Keshtpour

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Self-immolative polymers (SIPs) are degradable polymers that undergo end-to-end depolymerization upon triggering. They have potential for the development of degradable surfactants addressing human and environmental toxicity concerns associated with non-degradable surfactants, but they have not yet been investigated as surfactants. Herein, polyglyoxylamide SIPs with different pendent groups and end-caps were synthesized, envisioning they could serve as depolymerizable analogues of poly(vinyl alcohol) and its derivatives. Polyglyoxylamides with pendent hydroxyls stabilized both PEA and PLA particle suspensions. They showed the potential to undergo triggered degradation, resulting in destabilization of the suspensions. However, untriggered suspensions exhibited poor long-term stability, so further structural tuning …