Silicone-containing acrylic star polymers, block copolymers and macromonomers

A silicone-containing acrylic copolymer in the form of a star polymer comprising a crosslinked core derived from one or more (meth)acrylate monomer(s) and attached to the core at least 5 linear polymeric arms with unattached free ends which arms comprise one substantially hydrophilic block formed at the end of each of said arms away from said core comprising about 10% to about 80% by weight of each of said arms and one substantially hydrophobic, permeable block formed at the end of each of said arms attached to said core comprising about 20% to about 90% by weight of each of said arms, said hydrophilic block comprising at least about 20% by weight of units derived from at least one hydrophilic monomer and said hydrophobic, permeable block comprising at least about 50% by weight of units derived from at least one polysiloxanylalkyl ester of an alpha, beta unsaturated acid, said copolymer containing at least one polymerizable double bond in a pendant organo group attached to said hydrophilic block.

A silicone-containing acrylic copolymer in the form of a star polymer comprising a polysiloxy crosslinked core and attached to the core at least 5 linear acrylic polymeric arms with unattached free ends which arms comprise one substantially hydrophilic block formed at the end of each of said arms away from said core comprising about 10% to about 80% by weight of each of said arms and one substantially hydrophobic, permeable block formed at the end of each of said arms attached to said core comprising about 20% to about 90% by weight of each of said arms, said hydrophilic block comprising at least about 20% by weight of units derived from at least one hydrophilic monomer and said hydrophobic, permeable block comprising at least about 50% by weight of units derived from at least one polysiloxanylalkyl ester of an alpha, beta unsaturated acid, said copolymer containing at least one polymerizable double bond in a pendant organo group attached to said hydrophilic block, said arms being attached to said core by means of a chemical bond between a carbon atom contained in an ester group portion of a (meth)acrylate unit in said arm and a silicone atom in said core.

A star copolymer comprising:

• a. a crosslinked core comprising a polymer derived from a mixture of monomers comprising:
• i. about 1-100% by weight of one or more monomers, each monomer having at least two polymerizable groups, ##STR10## ii. about 0-99% by weight of one or more monomers, each having one group, ##STR11## in which R.sub.3 is the same or different and is H, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2, CN, or COR' and Z is 0, or NR', R' is C1-C4 alkyl and
• b. attached to said core (a), at least five polymeric arms, each arm comprising a substantially hydrophilic block formed at the end of each of said arms away from said core and a substantially hydrophobic, permeable block formed at the end of each of said arms attached to said core, said hydrophilic block derived from at least about 25% by weight of a hydrophilic acrylic-type monomer and said hydrophobic, permeable block derived from at least about 50% by weight of at least one or more polysiloxanylalkylesters of an alpha, beta unsaturated acid, said substantially hydrophilic block comprising about 10% to about 80% by weight of each of said arms and said substantially hydrophobic, permeable block comprising about 20% to about 90% by weight of each of said arms said copolymer containing at least one polymerizable double bond in a pendant organo group attached to said hydrophilic block.