Online Monitoring of the Evolution of Polyelectrolyte Characteristics during Postpolymerization Modification Processes

Abstract

Physics Department, Tulane UniVersity, New Orleans,Louisiana 70118, and Faculty of Sciences & Letters,Istanbul Technical UniVersity, 34469 Maslak, Istanbul,TurkeyReceiVed February 2, 2007ReVised Manuscript ReceiVed May 14, 2007Introduction. Postpolymerization modification is an impor-tant approach to generating advanced materials from knownpolymerization methods and is widespread in research andindustrial production. Improvements in the efficiencies andselectivities of postpolymerization reactions have resulted in theability to prepare materials with tailored degrees of functionalitybeing attached to the polymer backbone after the startingpolymer has been produced.Many postpolymerization chemical transformations are used,such as grafting, hydrolysis of pendant esters, activated esters,nitrile and amides, quaternization of pendant amines, sulfonationof aromatic units, and the growing use of the Huisgen “click”reaction,