Coating compositions containing lactam-functionalized polymer

1. An aqueous coating composition comprising at least 0.5 wt % of a lactam-functionalized polymer, wherein the lactam-functionalized polymer comprises a polymer backbone and at least one lactam-containing moiety attached to the polymer backbone or pendant on the polymer backbone, wherein the polymer backbone is selected from the group consisting of polyacetal polyether, polyhemiaminal polyether, polyaminal polyether, and combinations thereof.

2. The aqueous coating composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lactam-containing moiety is attached to at least one end of the polymer backbone.

3. The aqueous coating composition of claim 2 , wherein the at least one lactam-containing moiety has a general formula (I):

wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon diradical optionally having at least one heteroatom and is attached to a carbon or nitrogen atom on the lactam ring, and b is from 1 to 5.

4. The aqueous coating composition of claim 3 , wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkylene, arylalkenyl, cyclic, cycloaliphatic and polycyclic, optionally having at least one heteroatom.

5. The aqueous coating composition of claim 4 , wherein R is an alkylene having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, optionally having at least one heteroatom.

6. The aqueous coating composition of claim 3 , wherein the at least one lactam-containing moiety has one or both of the following general formulas:

wherein L is a direct bond, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene optionally having at least one heteroatom; A is hydrogen, OX n H, SX n H, or NR 4 X n H; R 1 -R 4 are identical or different and are each independently hydrogen, linear or branched alkyl having 1 to 30 carbons, or saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon rings having 3 to 10 carbons, optionally having at least one heteroatom; X is the lactam-containing moiety of Formula (III) or (IV); n is from 0 to 500; and b is from 1 to 5.

7. The aqueous coating composition of claim 2 , wherein the at least one lactam-containing moiety has a general formula (II):

wherein R′ and R″ are identical or different and are each independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon diradical optionally having at least one heteroatom, and R″ is attached to a carbon atom on the lactam ring, and b is from 1 to 5 with the proviso that R′ or R″ or both R′ and R″ are a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon diradical optionally having at least one heteroatom.

8. The aqueous coating composition of claim 7 , wherein R′ and R″ are identical or different and are each independently selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkylene, arylalkenyl, cyclic, cycloaliphatic and polycyclic, optionally having at least one heteroatom.

9. The aqueous coating composition of claim 8 , wherein R′ and R″ are identical or different and are each independently an alkylene having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, optionally having at least one heteroatom.

10. The aqueous coating composition of claim 7 , wherein R′ and R″ are identical or different and are each independently hydrogen,

wherein L is attached to the lactam ring, and is a direct bond, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene optionally having at least one heteroatom; A is hydrogen, OX n H, SX n H, or NR 4 X n H; R 1 —R 4 are identical or different and are each independently hydrogen, linear or branched alkyl having 1 to 30 carbons, or saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon rings having 3 to 10 carbons, optionally having at least one heteroatom; X is the lactam-containing moiety of Formula (II); n is from 0 to 500; and b is from 1 to 5 with the proviso that R′ or R″ or both R′ and R″ are a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon diradical optionally having at least one heteroatom.

11. The aqueous coating composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer further comprises at least one hydrophobic moiety to form a hydrophobically modified lactam-functionalized polymer.

12. The aqueous coating composition of claim 11 , wherein the hydrophobically modified lactam-functionalized polymer comprises at least one hydrophobic moiety attached to at least one end of the lactam-functionalized polymer.

13. The aqueous coating composition of claim 12 , wherein the at least one hydrophobic moiety is selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, arylalkenyl, cyclic, cycloaliphatic, and polycyclic, optionally having at least one heteroatom.

14. The aqueous coating composition of claim 11 , wherein the number of the at least one hydrophobic moiety is from 1 to 500.

15. The aqueous coating composition of claim 11 , comprising about 0.5 wt % to about 3 wt % of the lactam-functionalized polymer.

16. The aqueous coating composition of claim 1 , wherein the number of the at least one lactam-containing moiety is from 1 to 500.

17. The aqueous coating composition of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous composition comprises a paint.

18. A method of producing an aqueous coating composition comprises the steps of:

(a) dispersing or emulsifying a film-forming polymer in an aqueous solution, and

(b) adding at least 0.5 wt % of a lactam-functionalized polymer to the aqueous solution to form the aqueous coating composition,

wherein the lactam-functionalized polymer comprises a polymer backbone and at least one lactam-containing moiety attached to the polymer backbone, wherein the polymer backbone is selected from the group consisting of polyacetal polyether, polyhemiaminal polyether, polyaminal polyether, and combinations thereof.