Because of their unique pendant-side chain structures, zwitterionic polymers present excellent chemical properties, preferable thermal stability and hydration capacity, especially the anti-polyelectrolyte behavior in solution, have attracted broad attention in the world in recent years. Due to the hydrophilic functional groups such as -OH, -COOH and -SO₃H present in the molecular structure, zwitterionic polymers are capable of resisting non-specific protein adsorption,bacterial adhesion and blood coagulation even from undiluted blood plasma and serum.Many novel and functional zwitterionic polymers have been synthesized and attracted a great deal of interest in such fields as petroleum industry, biomedical materials, drug synthesis and sewage treatment. In this review, recent progress in the structure, properties, synthesis methods, applications and developing prospects of zwitterionic polymers are summarized, specifically their synthesis methods and applications. We hope it can be helpful for the research and development of the zwitterionic polymers. Contents
1 Introduction
2 Characteristic and classification of polymers
3 Preparation of zwitterionic polymers
3.1 Copolymerization of one or more monomers
3.2 Functionalization of the polymers
4 Application of zwitterionic polymers
4.1 Application of zwitterionic polymers in the petroleum industry
4.2 Application of zwitterionic polymers in the anti-protein pollution
4.3 Application of zwitterionic polymers in drug controlled release
5 Conclusion and outlook