Cross-linked polymers microenvironment polarity

Properties of the microenvironment of soluble and cross-linked polymers were studied by the shift of bands in the electron spectra of solvatochromic reporter molecules embedded in polymer chains. Generally, the charge-transfer (CT) absorption spectra and emission spectra of a number of compounds were used to correlate solute-solvent interactions with physical and chemical properties of interest. The energy of the band maxima of these chromophores is quite solvent sensitive and is linearly correlated with empirical solvent polarity parameters. The observed shift of the maximum of the solvatochromic reporter embedded in the polymer chains, compared with a low-molecular weight analog in the same solvent, was interpreted in terms of a change in the polarity of the microenvironment of the polymer in solution. 

To determine the polarity of the microenvironment of polymers, polymer labelled with solvatochromic reporters were prepared, either by (1) copolymerization with solvatochromic monomers 2 >3 or (2) polymer analogous reactions (e.g., the reaction of copolymer acUve esters with primary amino groups of the solvatochromic molecule or alkylation reaction of PVIm and cross-linked polymers with solvatochromic mole-cule.34i37 The properties of the microenvironment of polymers were studied by the shift and shape of band in electronic spectra of a solvatochromic reporter molecule embedded in polymers. 

The properties of the microenvironment of soluble and cross-linked synthetic polymers were studied using solvatochromic reporters bound to polymers. The polarity of the domain of polymer chains was estimated in one-component and binary solvents and compared with the polarity of solvents used. The polarity was expressed semiempirically by the absorption or emission band energy of a solvatochromic compound. The polarity of the microenvironment of soluble polymers and also the polarity in the vicinity of matrix of cross-linked polymers suspended in aqueous buffer was almost in all cases lower than that of the solvent. 

The polarity of the microenvironment of synthetic polymers in solution and cross-linked polymers was studied in order to characterize semiquantitatively, from one point of view, the influence of the polymer on the reactions of bound functional groups and on interactions of the macromolecules with low- or high-molecular weight compounds. 

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