Synthetic polyzwitterions: Water-soluble copolymers and terpolymers

Structural features of polyzwitterionic co- and terpolymers and their resulting solution behavior can be tailored by proper monomer selection and choice of synthetic pathway. In this chapter, we review the structures and solution behavior of major polyampholytes and polybetaines prepared in our research group and by others. Here, we concentrate on acrylamido-,based systems due to their pervasive use in applications where hydrolytic resistance is important. The electrolyte tolerance and solubility of water-soluble polyampholytes and the pHresponsiveness of amphoteric polyzwitterions are attributes of potential commercial utility in pharmaceutical, personal care, mining, and oil field chemical formulations.