Complex interactions in aqueous PIL-PNIPAm-PIL triblock copolymer solutions

Triblock copolymers with a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm) central block and short cationic polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) endblocks were synthesized via ATRP. The chemically different blocks interact with each other and thus the presence and length of the PIL blocks affected the aggregation behavior of the thermoresponsive polymers at temperatures below and above the cloud point.