Polymerisation and Self-Assembly in Deep Eutectic Solvents

Abstract

This thesis primarily concerns controlled radical polymerisation techniques in deep eutectic solvents (DES) but it also deals with the formation of water-in-oil microemulsions within certain examples of these systems. Following an introduction which lays out the background theory in these areas of research, the first results chapter deals with polymerisation of styrene by atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) in hydrophobic DES composed of carboxylic acids and L-menthol, with a focus on whether DES offer any advantages over conventional solvents for this reaction. The second results chapter deals with the ATRP and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer in a hydrophilic DES composed of choline chloride and glycerol, with a focus on whether or not this particular DES will enable oxygen-sensitive chemistry to be performed under an ambient atmosphere. Finally, the third results chapter considers water-in-oil microemulsions formed with surfactants in the hydrophobic DES compose of carboxylic acids and L-menthol, with a focus on using small-angle scattering techniques to characterise the nanoscale structure of these microemulsions.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Sponsors	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council & UK Research and Innovation Fund
Supervisor	Antoine Buchard (Supervisor), Karen Edler (Supervisor), Gareth Price (Supervisor) & Maciek Kopec (Supervisor)