Free radical homopolymerization of a vinylferrocene/cyclodextrin complex in water

• Helmut Ritter,
• Beate E. Mondrzik,
• Matthias Rehahn and
• Markus Gallei

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, No. 60, doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.60

• insoluble in water. Complexation of 1 with methyl-β-cyclodextrin 2 results in clearly water-soluble structures due to incorporation of the ferrocene moiety into the cyclodextrin cavity. After free radical polymerization of the water-soluble complexed monomer, corresponding to polyvinylferrocene (PVFc), the

• scanning calorimetry (DSC), and lower critical solution temperature (LCST) measurements. Keywords: cyclodextrin; free radical polymerization; polyvinylferrocene; vinylferrocene; Introduction Since its discovery in 1951, ferrocene [1] and its derivatives and their applications have been the subject of

• polymerization in water at 50 °C. During the reaction an increase in viscosity was observed, due to the formation of complexed polyvinylferrocene 3, which did not precipitate during the chain growth as a consequence of a strong host-guest interaction (Scheme 1). The complex remains in solution. The ratio of