Concentration effects in the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of water-soluble methacrylates (3-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate (DMAEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylates (OEGMAs)) have been studied. These monomers are rapidly hydrolyzed in the presence of bases at the room temperature in dilute aqueous solutions, but the reaction rate decreases sharply in highly concentrated solutions. A clear correlation was found between a form of the viscosity isotherm for DMAEMA solutions and the concentration dependence of the autocatalytic hydrolysis rate which indicates the connection of process kinetics with the structure of solutions. These data should be considered when carrying out homo- and copolymerization of the previously mentioned monomers in aqueous solutions.

Amphiphilic random and diblock thermoresponsive oligo(ethylene glycol)-based (co)polymers were synthesized via photoiniferter polymerization under visible light using trithiocarbonate as a chain transfer agent. The effect of solvent, light intensity and wavelength on the rate of the process was investigated. It was shown that blue and green LED light could initiate RAFT polymerization of macromonomers without an exogenous initiator at room temperature, giving bottlebrush polymers with low dispersity at sufficiently high conversions achieved in 1–2 h. The pseudo-living mechanism of polymerization and high chain-end fidelity were confirmed by successful chain extension. Thermoresponsive properties of the copolymers in aqueous solutions were studied via turbidimetry and laser light scattering. Random copolymers of methoxy- and alkoxy oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylates of a specified length formed unimolecular micelles in water with a hydrophobic core consisting of a polymer backbone and alkyl groups and a hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) shell. In contrast, the diblock copolymer formed huge multimolecular micelles.

High-molecular weight amphiphilic PEG-based bottlebrushes have been synthesized via continuous flow photoiniferter polymerization of macromonomers using trithiocarbonates as chain transfer agents.

The review summarises the trends in the development of research on the synthesis of polymethacrylimides (PMIs) and polyacrylimides by the method of intramolecular thermal imidisation of (meth)acrylic polymers. Along with the widely used industry variant of PMI foam of the ‘Rohacell’ series based on bulk copolymers of methacrylonitrile and methacrylic acid, intensive research on alternative variants began after 2005. This review describes the main and side reactions when using polymer precursors of different structures as well as the effect of precursor composition and structure on the properties of the resulting poly(meth)acrylimides. It has been shown that the achievements of the last 15 years provide a basis for reducing the cost of poly(meth)acrylimides which will significantly expand the areas and scale of their application.