Synthesis of Amphiphilic Statistical Copolymers Bearing Methoxyethyl and Phosphorylcholine Groups and Their Self-Association Behavior in Water.

Biocompatible amphiphilic statistical copolymers P(MEA/MPC) composed of 2-methoxyethyl acrylate (MEA) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) were prepared with three different mol% of the hydrophilic unit MPC ( = 6, 12 and 46 mol%). The monomer reactivity ratios of MEA () and MPC () were 0.53 and 2.21, respectively. The × value of 1.17 demonstrated that statistical copolymerization was successful. P(MEA/MPC) and P(MEA/MPC) copolymers did not undergo aggregation in water, whereas the P(MEA/MPC) copolymer formed micelles in water with a hydrodynamic radius () of 96.9 nm and a critical aggregation concentration, which was determined using pyrene fluorescence, at 0.0082 g/L. The restricted motion of the protons in the hydrophobic MEA units in the micelles' cores provided additional evidence of self-association in P(MEA/MPC).