{
  "abstract": "Owing to their distinctive nanophase-separated, co-continuous morphology, Amphiphilic polymer co-networks (APCNs) have attracted considerable attention in the past four decades. In 2024, a RAFT-mediated network growth strategy for the synthesis of APCNs was reported. This approach involves first preparing a parent RAFT network, typically a hydrophilic network containing dormant network-RAFT agents, followed by the diffusion and polymerization of hydrophobic monomers within the parent network. This process generates a secondary hydrophobic nanophase within the pre-existing hydrophilic continuous phase, yielding an amphiphilic polymer co-network that fulfils the defining structural characteristics of APCNs. This work reports a systematic study of the effect of DMSO content (10%, 50%, and 75%) on the synthesis of amphiphilic polymer co-networks (APCNs) using the above-mentioned RAFT-mediated network growth strategy. The resulting APCNs comprise a hydrophilic parent network based on oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (OEGA, Mn = 480) and the crosslinker N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis), into which hydrophobic n-butyl acrylate (BA) segments are incorporated through RAFT-mediated network growth. Network chemical composition, thermal properties, and morphology were characterized using FT-IR, TGA, DSC, and SEM, while amphiphilicity was assessed through equilibrium swelling measurements in water and toluene. The DMSO content employed during parent network synthesis was found to exert a pronounced effect on the properties of the resulting APCNs. Among the systems investigated, the APCN derived from a parent gel prepared in 75% DMSO and subjected to 5 h of photogrowth exhibited the most balanced amphiphilic character, displaying swelling ratios of 10.30 in water and 18.24 in toluene.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Chemical Sciences",
    "University of Auckland",
    "Dodd-Walls Centre for Quantum and Photonic Technologies"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jingyao Zhai"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yueru Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yihan Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Clyde"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jianyong Jin",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5521-6277"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cjk6a0z3xa111.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010517/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cjk6a0z3xa111",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010517/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1605|Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222047414",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010517/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-15",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cjk6a0z3xa111.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010517",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010517/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1605|Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization",
      "subfield": "organic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Synthesis of Amphiphilic Polymer Co-Networks via the Growth of a Living RAFT Network. Part III: Effect of DMSO Content",
  "title_text": "Synthesis of Amphiphilic Polymer Co-Networks via the Growth of a Living RAFT Network. Part III: Effect of DMSO Content",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cjk6a0z3xa111",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}