Hyperbranched Polyfluorinated benzyl ether polymers: Mechanism,kinetics, and optimization

Highly fluorinated, hyperbranched polymers were synthesized from the polycondensation of AB₂ monomers, 3,5‐bis[(pentafluorobenzyl)oxy]benzyl alcohol and 3,5‐bis[(pentafluorobenzyl)‐oxy]phenol with potassium carbonate base, and 18‐crown‐6 phase transfer agent in a variety of polar aprotic solvents. The regioselectivity of the polymerization was optimized and was found to be temperature dependent. The new polymerization technique produced higher molecular weight polymer using safer conditions than earlier methods. The resulting optimization was used to control substitution of oxygen‐bearing nucleophiles along nonactivated fluoroaryl systems in high yield. Water was found to induce side reactions that generate a highly conjugated fluoroaryl phenol with lowered reactivity. The removal of a methylene spacer in the polymer backbone of the hyperbranched polymer produced a polymer with greater thermal stability. The reaction conditions for polymerization were found to be general for nucleophile‐bearing perfluorinated systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 985–994     

Hydroxyl‐terminated hyperbranched aromatic poly(ether‐ester)s: Synthesis,characterization, end‐group modification,and optical properties

Novel AB₂‐type monomers such as 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy)benzoic acid ( monomer 1 ), methyl 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy) benzoate ( monomer 2 ), and 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy)benzoyl chloride ( monomer 3 ) were synthesized. Solution polymerization and melt self‐polycondensation of these monomers yielded hydroxyl‐terminated hyperbranched aromatic poly(ether‐ester)s. The structure of these polymers was established using FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights (M_w) of the polymers were found to vary from 2.0 × 10³ to 1.49 × 10⁴ depending on the polymerization techniques and the experimental conditions used. Suitable model compounds that mimic exactly the dendritic, linear, and terminal units present in the hyperbranched polymer were synthesized for the calculation of degree of branching (DB) and the values ranged from 52 to 93%. The thermal stability of the polymers was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, which showed no virtual weight loss up to 200 °C. The inherent viscosities of the polymers in DMF ranged from 0.010 to 0.120 dL/g. End‐group modification of the hyperbranched polymer was carried out with phenyl isocyanate, 4‐(decyloxy)benzoic acid and methyl red dye. The end‐capping groups were found to change the thermal properties of the polymers such as T_g. The optical properties of hyperbranched polymer and the dye‐capped hyperbranched polymer were investigated using ultraviolet‐absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5414–5430, 2008     

The preparation of hyperbranched aromatic and aliphatic polyether epoxies by chloride‐catalyzed proton transfer polymerization from ABn and A2 + B3 monomers

Hyperbranched polymers consisting of aromatic or aliphatic polyether cores and epoxide chain‐end peripheries were prepared by proton transfer polymerization. AB₂ diepoxyphenol monomer 1 proved to be well suited for the preparation of hyperbranched aromatic polymer 2 by this proton transfer polymerization. The use of chloride‐ion catalysis, rather than conventional base catalysis, for the preparation of polymers from diepoxyphenol 1 offered a unique method to control the ultimate molecular weight of the polymer product through variations of the initial concentration of monomer 1 in tetrahydrofuran. An alternative route to hyperbranched polyether epoxies made use of commercially available or easily prepared aliphatic monomers of the types AB₂, AB₃, and A₂ + B₃. Although these aliphatic polymerizations can be initiated with a base, chloride‐ion catalysis proved most effective for controlling the polymerization. The hyperbranched epoxies were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and multi‐angle laser light scattering. Chemical modification of the polymers after polymerization was carried out via nucleophilic addition on the epoxide groups or derivatization of the hydroxy substituents within the hyperbranched polymer structure. Spectroscopic measurements suggested that some such ring‐opened materials may adopt reverse unimolecular micellar structures in appropriate solution environments. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4850–4869, 2000     

Synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ether nitrile)s by one‐step polycondensation of an AB2 monomer

Hyperbranched poly(ether nitrile)s were prepared from a novel AB₂ type monomer, 2‐chloro‐4‐(3,5‐dihydroxyphenoxy)benzonitrile, via nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Soluble and low‐viscous hyperbranched polymers with molecular weights upto 233,600 (M_w) were isolated. According to the ¹H NMR and GPC data, the unique polymerization behavior was observed, which implies that the weight average molecular weight increased after the number average molecular weight reached plateau region. Model compounds were prepared to characterize the branching structure. Spectroscopic measurements of the model compounds and the resulting polymers, such as ¹H, DEPT ¹³C NMR, and MS, strongly suggest that the ether exchange reaction and cyclization are involved in the propagation reaction. The side reactions would affect the unique polymerization behavior. The resulting polymers showed a good solubility in organic solvents similar to other hyperbranched aromatic polymers. The hydroxy‐terminated polymer was even soluble in basic water. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5835–5844, 2009     

Efficient π‐conjugated interrupted host polymer by metal‐free polymerization for blue/green phosphorescent light‐emitting diodes

A new aromatic host polymer poly{[1,4‐bis(9‐decylcarbazole‐3‐yl)‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorobenzene‐3,3′‐diyl]‐alt‐[N‐methylisatin‐2‐one‐3,3‐diyl]} (PICzFB) containing carbazole–tetrafluorinebeneze–carbazole moiety in the π‐conjugated interrupted polymer backbone was synthesized by superacid‐catalyzed metal‐free polyhydroxyalkylation. The resulted copolymer PICzFB showed a comparatively wide band gap up to 3.32 eV and high triplet energy (E_T) of 2.73 eV due to confined conjugation by the δ? C bond interrupted polymer backbone. Blue and green light‐emitting devices with PICzFB as host, FIrpic and Ir(mppy)₃ as phosphorescent dopants showed the maximum luminous efficiencies of 5.0 and 27.6 cd/A, respectively. The results suggested that the strategy of incorporating bipolar unit into the π‐conjugated interrupted polymer backbone can be a promising approach to obtain host polymer with high triplet level for solution‐processed blue and green phosphorescent polymer light‐emitting diodes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1037–1046     

Blends of different linear polyamides with hyperbranched aromatic AB2 and A2 + B3 polyesters

To explore the possible applications of hyperbranched polymers for modifying linear polyamides, two hyperbranched aromatic polyesters characterized as high T_g polymers possessing phenolic end groups were used in melt mixing with partly aromatic polyamide and commercially available aliphatic polyamide‐6, respectively. Different amounts of both hyperbranched polyesters (from 1 wt % up to 20 wt %) were added to the polyamides, and the influence of these hyperbranched polyesters on the properties of the polyamides was investigated. The hyperbranched polyester based on an AB₂ approach was found to be the most effective modifier. A significant increase of the glass transition temperature of the final blend was detected. However, a remarkable reduction of crystallinity as well as complex melt viscosity of those blends was also observed. The use of an A₂+B₃ hyperbranched polyester as melt modifier for the polyamides was less effective for changing the thermal properties, and the complex melt viscosity of the final material increased since heterogeneous blends were formed. In contrast to that, generally, the addition of the AB₂ hyperbranched polyester to the polyamides resulted in homogeneous blends with improved T_g and processability. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3558–3572, 2009     

Synthesis of amphiphilic linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymers via grafting based on linear polyethylene backbone

The synthesis of amphiphilic linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymers in a grafting‐from approach is reported. The linear polyethylene with terminated hydroxyls, prepared by copolymerization of ethylene and 10‐undecen‐1‐ol, was used as macroinitiator for ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of glycidol by a typical slow monomer addition approach. Successful attachment of the hyperbranched grafts to the linear polyethylene backbone was confirmed by ¹H/¹³C NMR, GPC, and TGA. The degree of polymerization and M_w/M_n of hyperbranched grafts were efficiently controlled by temperature, deprotonation ratio as well as the molar ratio of glycidol/hydroxyl (N_glycidol/N_OH). The complicated microstructures caused by unsymmetric glycidol structure were analyzed by DEPT and 2D HSQC spectra, the degree of branching of 0.63–0.66 were calculated, indicating the extent of branch is close to theoretical values. The thermal analysis of linear‐hyperbranched copolymers via TGA and DSC is also presented. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymer with a crystalline and nonpolar linear‐polyethylene segment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2146–2154     

Synthesis and characterization of novel hyperbranched poly(imide silsesquioxane) membranes

A new family of hyperbranched polymers with chemical bonds between the hyperbranched polyimide and polysilsesquioxane network was synthesized by the reaction of an amine‐terminated aromatic hyperbranched polyimide with 3‐glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane, followed by hydrolysis and polycondensation in the presence of an acid catalyst. The hyperbranched poly(imide silsesquioxane) membranes were fabricated by the casting the aforementioned polymer solution onto a NaCl optical flat, which was followed by heating at 80 °C for 24 h. The membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption and desorption, and CO₂ adsorption and desorption. The presence of covalent bonds between the hyperbranched polyimide and polysilsesquioxane segments had a significant effect on the properties of the membranes. N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms for these membranes showed surface areas of 6–16 m²/g, whereas CO₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms showed much higher surface areas in the range of 106–127 m²/g. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3736–3743, 2003     

Synthesis of a hyperbranched polythioketal with 100% degree of branching

A 100% hyperbranched polymer was successfully prepared by using 2‐[4‐(4‐mercaptobutoxy)phenoxy]‐9H‐fluoren‐9‐one as an AB₂ monomer in trifluoroacetic acid. The kinetics of the model reaction between 9‐fluorenone and 3‐mercaptopropionic acid was investigated. The reaction obeyed the second‐order kinetics, indicating that the first reaction, that is, the formation of the intermediate from 9‐fluorenone and 3‐mercaptopropionic acid, is considerably slower than the second one, that is, the reaction of the intermediate with 3‐mercaptopropionic acid. On the basis of this finding, a new monomer expected to produce a 100% branched hyperbranched polymer, 2‐[4‐(4‐mercaptobutoxy)phenoxy]‐9H‐fluoren‐9‐one, was designed and prepared. The obtained polymer was characterized by ¹H and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, which confirmed that the polymer was a 100% branched hyperbranched polymer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2689–2700, 2008     

A facile synthetic strategy for hyperbranched polymer via combining free radical telomerization and polycondensation

A facile strategy combining free radical telomerization and polycondensation to prepare hyperbranched polymers was developed. By selecting a suitable telogen and a vinyl monomer, the product obtained by telomerization could be regarded as an AB_n type monomer for preparing a hyperbranched polymer via conventional polycondensation. The principles for selecting vinyl monomers and telogens were proposed. The feed ratio of vinyl monomer to telogen was discussed in the theory. For demonstrating the strategy, methyl (meth)acrylate (MA or MMA) and 2‐mercaptoethanol were used as a vinyl monomer and a telogen, respectively. The two‐unit adduct of MA or MMA obtained after purifying was regarded as a model ABB′ monomer. The sequential transesterification demonstrated that the carboxylate group at the terminal unit has higher reactivity than that at penultimate unit because of the different substituents at the respective α‐positions, resulting in lower degree of branching (DB) of obtained polymer. As substitutes, 2‐hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate and thioglycolic acid were used as a vinyl monomer and a telogen, respectively. The results showed that the hyperbranched polymer obtained by using pseudo one‐pot approach had moderate DB. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7543–7555, 2008     

Homopolycyclotrimerization of A4‐type tetrayne: A new approach for the creation of a soluble hyperbranched poly(tetraphenylethene) with multifunctionalities

A tetraphenylethene‐containing A₄‐type tetrayne, named 1,1,2,2‐tetrakis(4‐ethynylphenyl)ethene is synthesized and its TaCl₅‐Ph₄Sn catalyzed homopolycyclotrimerization affords hyperbranched poly(tetraphenylethene) with high molecular weight (M_w = 280,000) in high yield (97%). The polymer shows good solubility and high thermal stability. It is aggregation‐enhanced emission (AEE)‐active and functions as a fluorescent chemosensor for explosive detection with a superamplification effect and large quenching constants up to 758,000 M^?1. The polymer shows high and tunable refractive indices (RI = 1.9288?1.6746) in a wide wavelength region. Porous fluorescent polymer thin film is prepared by breath figure (BF) methods and real‐time monitoring of the elusive BF formation process is realized. Photolithography of the thin films readily generates well‐resolved fluorescent photopattern without and with porous secondary structure. The polymer is metallified and pyrolysed to give magnetic ceramics with high magnetic susceptibilities (M_s = 83 emu/g) and near‐zero coercivity (H_c = 0.08 kOe). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4752–4764     

Synthesis of a novel one‐pot approach of hyperbranched polyurethanes and their properties

A new method for the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers involving the use of AB_x macromonomers containing linear units have been investigated. Two types of novel hyperbranched polyurethanes have been synthesized by a one‐pot approach. The structures of monomers and polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis. The hyperbranched polymers have been proven to be extremely soluble in a wide range of solvents. Polymer electrolytes were prepared with hyperbranched polymer, linear polymer as the host, and lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) as the ion source. Analysis of the isotherm conductivity dependence of the ion concentration indicated that these hyperbranched polymers could function as a “solvent” for the lithium salt. The conductivity increased with the increasing concentration of hyperbranched polymers in the host polymer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 344–350, 2002     

A hyperbranched,rotaxane‐type mechanically interlocked polymer

Based on the dibenzo‐24‐crown‐8/1,2‐bis(pyridinium)ethane recognition motif, a hyperbranched mechanically interlocked polymer was prepared by polyesterification of an easily available dynamic trifunctional AB₂ pseudorotaxane monomer. It was characterized by various techniques including ¹H NMR, COSY, NOESY, GPC, viscosity, TGA, dynamic laser light scattering, AFM, and SEM. Its GPC M_n was determined to be 191 kDa with polydispersity 1.7 and its hydrodynamic diameter in a dilute solution in acetone was about 70 nm. This measured M_n value corresponds to about 93 repeating units. The study reported here presents not only a new polymer topology but also a novel and convenient way to prepare mechanically interlocked polymers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4067–4073, 2010     

Structural and end‐group effects on bulk and surface properties of hyperbranched poly(urea urethane)s

The hydroxy end groups of aromatic and aliphatic hyperbranched poly‐(urea urethane)s prepared with an AA* + B*B₂ one‐pot method were modified with phenylisocyanate, butylisocyanate, and stearylisocyanate. The success of the modification reaction was verified with ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy. Linear model poly‐(urea urethane)s were prepared, too, for comparison. The bulk properties of OH functionalized hyperbranched poly(urea urethane)s, compared with those of linear analogues and modified hyperbranched poly(urea urethane)s, were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and temperature‐dependent Fourier transform infrared measurements. Transparent and smooth thin films could be prepared from all polymer samples and were examined with a light microscope, a microglider, and an atomic force microscope. The properties of the polymer surface were examined by measurements of the contact angle and zeta potential. For all samples, the properties were mainly governed by the strong interactions of the urea and urethane units within the backbone, whereas the influence of the nature of the end groups and of the branched structure was reduced in comparison with other hyperbranched polymer systems. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3376–3393, 2005     

Kinetics of nonideal hyperbranched A2 + B3 polycondensation: Simulation and comparison with experiments

To overcome the deficiency of mean field method in introducing the intramolecular cyclization and the steric effects, the reactive bond fluctuation model was applied to study nonideal hyperbranched A₂ + B₃ polycondensation, which has high sensitivity of gelation to the concentration of monomers, the feed ratio and the reactivity of functional groups. Simulation demonstrated that the mean field theory overestimated hyperbranched polymerization especially at high reaction conversion in the system with low monomer concentration where the intramolecular cyclization and the steric hindrance play crucial influences on molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and gel point (GP). The dependences of GP on the monomer concentration, feed ratio, and the reactivity of groups are clearly shown. We further simulated a specific polycondensation system with aromatic terephthaloyl chloride (TCl, A₂) and 1,1,1‐tris(4‐trimethylsiloxyphenyl)ethane (TMS‐THPE, B₃) (Macromolecules 2007, 40, 6846) using fitting technology, and estimated molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, GPs, and the conformation of hyperbanched polymer. It provides a feasible way to quantitatively understand hyperbranched polymerization with the reaction specificity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Synthesis and application as polymer electrolyte of hyperbranched polyether made by cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 3‐{2‐[2‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxymethyl}‐3′‐methyl‐oxetane

A novel cyclic ether monomer 3‐{2‐[2‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy‐methyl}‐3′‐methyloxetane (HEMO) was prepared from the reaction of 3‐hydroxymethyl‐3′‐methyloxetane tosylate with triethylene glycol. The corresponding hyperbranched polyether (PHEMO) was synthesized using BF₃·Et₂O as initiator through cationic ring‐opening polymerization. The evidence from ¹H and ¹³C NMR analyses revealed that the hyperbranched structure is constructed by the competition between two chain propagation mechanisms, i.e. active chain end and activated monomer mechanism. The terminal structure of PHEMO with a cyclic fragment was definitely detected by MALDI‐TOF measurement. A DSC test implied that the resulting polyether has excellent segment motion performance potentially beneficial for the ion transport of polymer electrolytes. Moreover, a TGA assay showed that this hyperbranched polymer possesses high thermostability as compared to its liquid counterpart. The ion conductivity was measured to reach 5.6 × 10^?5 S/cm at room temperature and 6.3 × 10^?4 S/cm at 80 °C after doped with LiTFSI at a ratio of Li:O = 0.05, presenting the promise to meet the practical requirement of lithium ion batteries for polymer electrolytes. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3650–3665, 2006     

A solution‐processible poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) without alkyl substitution: Introducing the cis‐vinylene segments in polymer chain for improved solubility,blue emission,and high efficiency

A soluble all‐aromatic poly(2,5‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene) (2,5‐DP‐PPV) is synthesized by utilizing aromatic phosphonium and aldehyde monomers through Wittig reaction. The H¹ NMR and FTIR measurements indicate that over 50% content of cis‐vinylene units exist in polymer backbone. The diphenyl‐substituted benzaldehyde monomer plays an important role to enhance cis‐products (Z‐selectivity) in Wittig reactions. The twisted cis‐segments in polymer backbone reduce the interchain interactions and enhance the solubility of such all‐aromatic PPV derivative in common organic solvents. 2,5‐DP‐PPV exhibits good solubility in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. The polymer film exhibits a blue light emission (λ_max = 485 nm) and a very high photoluminescence efficiency of 78%. The cis‐trans photo isomerization of this polymer in solution and the impact on the optical properties are also investigated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5242–5250, 2008     

Dramatic effect of solvent on the NMR spectral resolution of hyperbranched polyethers

NMR spectroscopy has served as a powerful tool to discriminate between the various types of subunits present in hyperbranched polymers. This discrimination is critical for the determination of degree of branching (DB), which is an important structural parameter that distinguishes hyperbranched structures from dendrimers. However, often times spectral signatures due to the various subunits, namely linear (L), dendritic (D) and terminal (T), are not well‐resolved. We demonstrate here that a dramatic enhancement in the peak resolution could be achieved in a series of hyperbranched polyethers, by recording the proton NMR spectra in an aromatic solvent, such as benzene, instead of the usual CDCl₃. The assignment of the various peaks was confirmed by comparison of the longitudinal relaxation times (T₁) of different protons belonging to the individual subunits. Interestingly, the chemical shift differences between the different types of subunits persist even when fairly long spacer segments separate the branch‐points in these hyperbranched polyethers. This permitted the determination of the DB of an entire series of hyperbranched polymers of varying branching densities without the need for comparison with model compounds. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1474–1480, 2007     

Hyperbranched copolyfluorene from a 2,4,7‐trifunctional fluorene monomer

A new hyperbranched ( P1 ) and linear copolyfluorene ( P2 ) were prepared from 2,4,7‐trifunctional (branching) and 2,7‐bifunctional fluorene monomer, respectively, by the Wittig reaction, followed with end‐capping by aromatic oxadiazole groups, to study the effect of hyperbranch structure. The weight‐average molecular weights (M_w) of P1 and P2 , determined by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene as standard, were 33,000 and 25,700, respectively. The polymers were readily soluble in common organic solvents and exhibited good thermal stability (T_d > 400 °C). Optical properties, both in solution and film state, were investigated using absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. In film state, the absorption and PL spectra peaked at 401–425 nm and 480–495 nm, respectively. The P1 showed energy funnel effect and enhanced fluorescence efficiency owing to hyperbranched structure and terminal oxadiazole groups. The HOMO and LUMO levels of P1 ( P2) , estimated from cyclic voltammograms, are ?5.34 (?5.25) eV and ?2.94 (?2.94) eV, respectively. Two‐layer polymer light‐emitting diodes devices (ITO/PEDOT/ P1 /Ca/Al) exhibited maximal luminance and luminous efficiency of 3630 cd/m² and 0.78 cd/A, respectively, which are superior to its linear counterpart P2 (598 cd/m², 0.11 cd/A). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5541–5551, 2007     

Reduction‐cleavable hyperbranched polymers with limited intramolecular cyclization via click chemistry

In this contribution, we present new reduction‐cleavable hyperbranched disulfide bonds‐containing poly(ester triazole)s with limited intramolecular cyclization, which can be synthesized by the Cu(I)‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of A₂ monomer of dipropargyl 3,3′‐dithiobispropionate and B₃ monomer of tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane tri(4‐azidobutanoate). The hyperbranched poly(ester triazole)s possess numerous terminal groups and weight‐average molecular weight up to 20,400 g mol^?1 with a polydispersity index in the range 1.57–2.17. The CuAAC introduces rigid triazole units into the backbones of hyperbranched poly(ester triazole)s and reduces intramolecular cyclization, which is proved by topological analysis and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The disulfide bonds on backbones endow the reduction‐cleavable feature to the hyperbranched poly(ester triazole)s at the presence of dithiothreitol. It gives a novel and convenient methodology for the synthesis of reduction‐responsive functional polymer with controlled topologies, and the reduction‐cleavable hyperbranched poly(ester triazole)s with limited intramolecular cyclization are expected to possess potential in the application of stimuli‐responsive anticancer drug nanocarriers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2374–2380