Synthesis, Dye Encapsulation, and Highly Efficient Colouring Application of Amphiphilic Hyperbranched Polymers

A novel kind of amphiphilic hyperbranched polymer (AHP), poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-co-polystyrene (HPTAM-co-PS), was synthesized via the combination of reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization and self-condensing vinyl polymerization (RAFT-SCVP). HPTAM-co-PS was functionalized via the highly efficient Menschutkin click reaction, resulting in hyperbranched poly(propargyl quaternary ammonium methacrylate)-co-polystyrene (HPPrAM-co-PS) with a hydrophilic quaternary ammonium salt core and hydrophobic PS shell. The average numbers of dye molecules trapped by each molecule of HPPrAM-co-PS (24.2 kDa) were 24.1 for methyl orange (MO), 22.0 for fluorescein sodium (FS), 24.2 for rose bengal (RB), and 238.4 for Congo red (CR). The polymer–dye complexes show excellent colouring effects for both PS and poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) membranes; the colour of the membrane containing AHP is very stable and uniform. Our work opens an avenue for the design of efficient dye-colouring additives and for the application of hyperbranched polymers in the field of polymer colouring.