One‐pot synthesis of hyperbranched glycopolymers by RAFT polymerization

Soluble hyperbranched glycopolymers were prepared by copolymerization of glycan monomers with reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) inimers in a simple one‐pot reaction. Two novel RAFT inimers, 2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl 4‐cyano‐4‐(phenylcarbonothioylthio)pentanoate (MAE‐CPP) and 2‐(3‐(benzylthiocarbonothioylthio)propanoyloxy)ethyl acrylate (BCP‐EA) were synthesized and used to prepare hyperbranched glycopolymers. Two types of galactose‐based saccharide monomers, 6‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2:3,4‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐D ‐galactopyranose (proGal‐M) and 6‐O‐(2′‐acrylamido‐2′‐methylpropanoate)‐1,2:3,4‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐D ‐galactopyranose (proGal‐A), containing a methacrylate and an acrylamide group, respectively, were also synthesized and polymerized under the mediation of the MAE‐CPP and BCP‐EA inimers, respectively. In addition, hyperbranched poly(proGal‐M), linear poly(proGal‐A), and hyperbranched poly(proGal‐A) were generated and their polymerization kinetics were studied and compared. An unexpected difference was observed in the kinetics between the two monomers during polymerization: the relationship between polymerization rate and concentration of inimer was totally opposite in the two monomer–inimer systems. Branching analysis was conducted by using degree of branching (DB) as the measurement parameter. As expected, a higher DB occurred with increased inimer content. Furthermore, these polymers were readily deprotected by hydrolysis in trifluoroacetic acid solution resulting in water‐soluble polymers. The resulting branched glycopolymers have potential as biomimetics of polysaccharides. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and crosslinking of hyperbranched poly(n‐nonyl acrylate) to form organogels

(2‐Bromo‐n‐nonan‐1‐oxycarbonyl)ethyl acrylate was synthesized as an inimer for self‐condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) to produce hyperbranched poly(n‐nonyl acrylate), either as a homopolymer or as a copolymer with n‐nonyl acrylate. The inimer was homopolymerized and copolymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and activator generated by electron transfer ATRP to produce soluble polymers with broad polydispersities (up to ? = 9.91), which is characteristic of hyperbranched polymers produced by SCVP. The resulting hyperbranched (co)polymers were crosslinked by atom transfer radical coupling in both one‐pot and two‐step procedures. The radical–radical crosslinking reaction is extremely efficient, resulting in hard plastic particles from the homopolymer of (2‐bromo‐n‐nonan‐1‐oxycarbonyl)ethyl acrylate synthesized in bulk. Crosslinked organogels that swell in tetrahydrofuran were formed when the rate of crosslinking decreased using acetonitrile solutions. Dynamic shear and stress relaxation experiments demonstrated that the dry network behaves as a covalently crosslinked soft gel, with a glass transition at ?50 °C according to differential scanning calorimetry. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2399–2410     

Architecture‐controlled synthesis of redox‐degradable hyperbranched polyglycerol block copolymers and the structural implications of their degradation

We have successfully synthesized a series of redox‐degradable hyperbranched polyglycerols using a disulfide containing monomer, 2‐((2‐(oxiran‐2‐ylmethoxy)ethyl)disulfanyl) ethan‐1‐ol (SSG), to yield PSSG homopolymers and hyperbranched block copolymers, P(G‐b‐SSG) and P(SSG‐b‐G), containing nondegradable glycerol (G) monomers. Using these polymers, we have explored the structures of the hyperbranched block copolymers and their related degradation products. Furthermore, side reaction such as reduction of disulfide bond during the polymerization was investigated by employing the free thiol titration experiments. We elucidated the structures of the degradation products with respect to the architecture of the hyperbranched block copolymer under redox conditions using ¹H NMR and GPC measurements. For example, the degradation products of P(G‐b‐SSG) and P(SSG‐b‐G) are clearly different, demonstrating the clear distinction between linear and hyperbranched block copolymers. We anticipate that this study will extend the structural diversity of PG based polymers and aid the understanding of the structures of degradable hyperbranched PG systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1752–1761     

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     

Bioreducible hyperbranched polyglycerols with disulfide linkages: Synthesis and biocompatibility evaluation

In this article, we describe the development of multifunctional, water‐soluble hyperbranched polyglycerols containing redox‐sensitive disulfide linkages as a new class of biodegradable polymers. The polymers were synthesized by the anionic ring opening multibranching (co)polymerization of glycidol with an epoxide monomer bearing disulfide groups, 2‐((2‐oxiran‐2‐ylmethoxy)ethyl)disulfanyl) ethan‐1‐ol. Polymerizations were optimized at 65 °C unlike the homopolymerization of glycidol. Both low (5–10 kDa) and high (100 kDa) molecular weight polymers were synthesized in a controlled manner with low polydispersity. The polymers underwent degradation in presence of reducing agents such as tris(2‐carboxyethyl)phosphine, dithiothreitol, and glutathione resulting in low molecular weight fragments with thiol groups. Blood compatibility analysis using coagulation, platelet activation, complement activation and red blood cell lysis assays as well as cell toxicity analysis using MTS assay revealed the excellent biocompatibility of these newly synthesized polymer architectures. All these features make these polymers suitable for intracellular delivery of therapeutic molecules. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2104–2115     

Michael addition polymerizations of difunctional amines (AA′) and triacrylamides (B3)

Novel hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s containing tertiary amines on the backbones and acryl or secondary amines as the surface groups were successfully synthesized via the Michael addition polymerizations of a triacrylamide [1,3,5‐triacryloylhexahydro‐1,3,5‐triazine (TT)] and a difunctional amine [n‐butylamine (BA)] NMR techniques were used to clarify the structures of hyperbranched polymers and polymerization mechanism. The reactivity of the secondary amine formed in situ was much lower than that of the primary amines in BA. When the feed molar ratio was 1:1 TT/BA, the secondary amine formed in situ was almost kept out of the reaction before the BA (AA′) and TT (B₃) monomers were consumed, and this led to the formation of A′B₂ intermediates containing one secondary amine group and two acryl groups. The self‐polymerization of the A′B₂ intermediates produced hyperbranched polymers bearing acryl as surface groups. For the polymerization with the feed molar ratio of 1:2 TT/BA, A′₂B intermediates containing one acryl group and two secondary amine groups were accumulated until self‐polymerization started; the self‐polymerization of the intermediates formed hyperbranched polymers with secondary amines as their surface groups. Modifications of surface functional groups were studied to form new hyperbranched polymers. The hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s were amorphous. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6226–6242, 2006     

A degradable atom transfer radical polymerization inimer: Synthesis,polymerization, and cleavage of the resulting polymer products

A novel degradable inimer for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), 2‐(6‐(2‐((2‐bromo‐2‐methylpropanoyl)oxy)ethyl)pyridin‐2‐yl)ethyl methacrylate (PyDEBrMΑ), was synthesized by the two‐step esterification of 2,6‐pyridinediethanol, first with α‐bromoisobutyryl bromide in order to introduce the initiator moiety, and then with methacryloyl chloride in order to introduce the monomer moiety. PyDEBrMA was subsequently used to initiate the self‐condensing ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to obtain a hyperbranched MMA homopolymer which could be cleaved at the PyDEBrMA residue either by treatment under mildly alkaline hydrolysis conditions (sodium deuteroxide in d₆‐DMSO at room temperature) or thermolysis at 150 °C. The lability of the PyDEBrMA residue arises from the presence in its structure of two 2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)ethyl ester moieties. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2831–2839     

Studies on the Self-condensing Vinyl Living Radical Polymerization of a Novel Acrylate Inimer

IntroductionDendrimers represent a class of macro-molecules with perfectly and regularly branchedstructures.However,the synthesis ofdendrimers isnot trivial and requires multistep synthesis,theircommercial development has been limited only to afew structures[1— 3 ] . Hyperbranched macro-molecules,which posses less perfectly branchedstructures,have some similar properties to those ofdendrimers,but they can be prepared in a singlestep and one- pot reaction,so many macromolecularresearchershavef…     

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polyesters from glycerol‐based AB2 monomer

This article describes the synthesis of a new glycerol‐based AB₂ type monomer—ethyl{3‐[2‐hydroxy‐1‐(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]propyl}thioacetate ( 4 ) and its application for the preparation of hyperbranched polyesters. The polycondensation of 4 has been performed over a wide range of catalysts and reaction conditions leading to polymers containing solely primary hydroxyl groups. The polycondensation progress has been monitored by means of ¹H NMR. The degree of branching of the polymers showed to be in the range of 0.5 ± 0.03. The obtained polyesters easily undergo hydrolysis or alcoholysis and may be of interest as recycled materials. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3860–3868, 2009     

New series of AB2‐type hyperbranched polytriazoles derived from the same polymeric intermediate: Different endcapping spacers with adjustable bulk and convenient syntheses via click chemistry under copper(I) catalysis

In this article, according to the concept of “suitable isolation group,” six new AB₂‐type polytriazoles containing azo‐chromophore moieties, derived from the same hyperbranched polymer intermediate, were successfully prepared through click reaction under copper(I) catalysis by modifying the synthetic route, in which different isolation groups in different size were introduced to the periphery of the hyperbranched polymers as end‐capping moieties. With the different end‐capping groups, these hyperbranched polymers, P1 – P6 , exhibited different solubility and processability; also, their nonlinear optical properties were modified accordingly, realizing the adjustment of the properties of hyperbranched polymers through the structural design. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis and characterization of degradable hyperbranched poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline)

Hyperbranched poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) was synthesized by a combination of cationic ring‐opening polymerization and the oxidation of thiol to disulfide groups. A three‐arm star poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PEtOx) was first synthesized using 1,3,5‐tris(bromomethyl) benzene as an initiator. The star PEtOx was end‐capped with potassium ethyl xanthate. Similarly, a linear PEtOx was synthesized and end‐capped with potassium ethyl xanthate using benzyl bromide as an initiator. Hyperbranched PEtOx was then obtained by in situ cleaving and subsequent oxidation of the star PEtOx and linear PEtOx mixture with n‐butylamine as both a cleaving agent and a base in tetrahydrofuran. The linear PEtOx was used to prevent the formation of gel. The hyperbranched PEtOx can be cleaved with dithiothreitol to trithiol and monothiol polymer. The hyperbranched PEtOx shows no remaining thiols using Ellman's assay. The resulting hyperbranched PEtOx was hydrolyzed to a novel hyperbranched polyethyleneimine with degradable disulfide linkages. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2030–2037     

Novel thermally latent self‐crosslinkable copolymers bearing oxetane and hemiacetal ester moieties: The synthesis,self‐crosslinking behavior,and thermal properties

Novel thermally latent self‐crosslinkable copolymers ( 14 and 15 ) containing hemiacetal ester and oxetane moieties were synthesized by the radical copolymerizations of 1‐propoxyethyl methacrylate, 3‐ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyl oxetane, and/or n‐butyl methacrylate at 60 °C in the presence of 2,2′‐azoisobutylonitrile as an initiator. The obtained copolymers showed good solubility for common organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The thermal crosslinking behaviors were examined with several Lewis acid catalysts ( 6 ). In particular, the treatment with aluminum‐2‐ethylhexanate triethanolamine complex ( 6c ) at 160 °C was found to efficiently yield the corresponding self‐crosslinked polymers ( 14′ and 15′ ). Incidentally, the resulting products were hardly insoluble in various organic solvents, including DMSO. The thermal properties of the obtained self‐crosslinked polymers 14′ and 15′ were estimated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4260–4270, 2005     

Synthesis and chemical modification of hyperbranched polyethers with terminal hydroxy groups by the anionic ring‐opening polymerization of 3‐alkyl‐3‐hydroxymethyl oxetanes

The anionic ring‐opening polymerization of oxetanes containing hydroxyl groups was carried out with potassium tert‐butoxide as an initiator in the presence of 18‐crown‐6‐ether in N‐methylpyrrolidinone at 180 °C; it yielded corresponding multifunctional hyperbranched polymers: poly(3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane)s, with number‐average molecular weights of 2200–4100 in 83–95% yields, and poly(3‐methyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane)s, with number‐average molecular weights of 4600–5200 in 70–95% yields. The synthesized poly(3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane)s and poly(3‐methyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane)s were hyperbranched polyethers containing an oxetane moiety and many hydroxy groups at the ends. The postpolymerization of poly(3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane)s was performed in the presence of potassium tert‐butoxide and 18‐crown‐6‐ether in N‐methylpyrrolidinone at 180 °C; it yielded corresponding polymers with higher molecular weights in good yields. The cationic polymerization of poly(3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane) derivatives was carried out with boron trifluoride etherate as an initiator and was followed by alkaline hydrolysis; this yielded a new branched polymer, a poly(hyperbranched polyether), with many pendant hydroxy groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3739–3750, 2004     

Self‐controlled synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ether‐ketone)s from A2 + B3 approach in poly(phosphoric acid)

Self‐controlled synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ether‐ketone)s (HPEKs) were prepared from “A₂ + B₃” approach by using different monomer solubility in reaction medium. 1,3,5‐Triphenoxybenzene as a hydrophobic B₃ monomer was reacted with commercially available terephthalic acid or 4,4′‐oxybis(benzoic acid) as a hydrophilic A₂ monomer in a hydrophilic reaction medium, polyphosphoric acid (PPA)/phosphorous pentoxide (P₂O₅). The resultant HPEKs were soluble in various common organic solvents and had the weight‐average molecular weight in the range of 3900–13,400 g/mol. The results implied that HPEKs were branched structures instead of crosslinked polymers. The molecular sizes and shapes of HPEKs were further assured by morphological investigation with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Hence, the applied polymerization condition was indeed strong enough to efficiently facilitate polycondensation via “direct” Friedel‐Crafts reaction without gelation. It could be concluded that the polymer forming reaction was kinetically controlled by automatic and slow feeding of the hydrophobic B₃ monomer into the hydrophilic reaction mixture containing hydrophilic comonomer. As a result, hyperbranched structures were formed instead of crosslinked polymers even at full conversion (equifunctional monomer feed ratio). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3326–3336, 2009     

One‐pot synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s from commercially available dicarboxylic acids and multihydroxyl secondary amines

A convenient and cost‐effective strategy for synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s from commercially available dicarboxylic acids (A₂) and multihydroxyl secondary amine (CB₂) has been developed. By optimizing the conditions of model reactions, the AB₂‐type intermediates were formed dominantly during the initial reaction stage. Without any purification, the AB₂ intermediate was subjected to thermal polycondensation in the absence of any catalyst to prepare the aliphatic and semiaromatic hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s bearing multi‐hydroxyl end‐groups. The FTIR and ¹H NMR spectra indicated that the polymerization proceeded in the proposed way. The DBs of the resulting polymers were confirmed by a combination of inverse‐gated decoupling ¹³C NMR, and DEPT‐135 NMR techniques. The DBs of the hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s were in the range of 0.44–0.73, depending on the structure of the monomers used. The hyperbranched polymers exhibited moderate molecular weights with relatively broad distributions determined by SEC. All the polymers displayed low inherent viscosity (0.11–0.25 dL/g) due to the branched nature. Structural and end‐group effects on the thermal properties of the hyperbranched polymers were investigated using DSC. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the resulting polymers exhibit reasonable thermal stability. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5077–5092, 2008     

Preparation and characterization of hyperbranched polyaspartimides from bismaleimides and triamines

Hyperbranched polyaspartimides were successfully prepared from bismaleimides (A₂) and triamines (B₃) through the Michael addition reaction. Two bismaleimides of 4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BMDM) and bis(3‐ethyl‐5‐methyl‐4‐ maleimidophenyl)methane (BEMM) and two triamines of tris(3‐aminophenyl)phosphine oxide (TAPPO) and tris(4‐aminophenyl)amine (TAPA) were employed in the preparation of these hyperbranched polyaspartimides. The chemical structures of the polymers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H and ³¹P NMR, and elemental analysis. Degrees of branching ranging from 0.51 to 0.69 were found with the polyaspartimides, ensuring their hyperbranched structure. The polymers also showed good solubility in common solvents, high glass‐transition temperatures of 256 °C, and excellent thermal stability above 370 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5921–5928, 2004     

One‐pot inimer promoted ROCP synthesis of branched copolyesters using α‐hydroxy‐γ‐butyrolactone as the branching reagent

An array of branched poly(?‐caprolactone)s was successfully synthesized using an one‐pot inimer promoted ring‐opening multibranching copolymerization (ROCP) reaction. The biorenewable, commercially available yet unexploited comonomer and initiator 2‐hydroxy‐γ‐butyrolactone was chosen as the inimer to extend the use of 5‐membered lactones to branched structures and simultaneously avoiding the typical tedious work involved in the inimer preparation. Reactions were carried out both in bulk and in solution using stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)₂) as the catalyst. Polymerizations with inimer equivalents varying from 0.01 to 0.2 were conducted which resulted in polymers with a degree of branching ranging from 0.049 to 0.124. Detailed ROCP kinetics of different inimer systems were compared to illustrate the branch formation mechanism. The resulting polymer structures were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C, and ₁H‐₁₃C HSQC NMR and SEC (RI detector and triple detectors). The thermal properties of polymers with different degree of branching were investigated by DSC, confirming the branch formation. Through this work, we have extended the current use of the non‐homopolymerizable γ‐butyrolactone to the branched polymers and thoroughly examined its behaviors in ROCP. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1908–1918     

Synthesis and polymerization of phosphorus‐containing acrylates

Novel phosphorus‐containing acrylate monomers were synthesized by two different routes. The first involved the reaction of ethyl α‐chloromethyl acrylate and t‐butyl α‐bromomethyl acrylate with diethylphosphonoacetic acid. The monomers were bulk‐ and solution‐polymerized at 56–64 °C with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile. The ethyl ester monomer showed a high crosslinking tendency under these conditions. The selective hydrolysis of the ethyl ester phosphonic ester compound was carried out with trimethylsilyl bromide, producing a phosphonic acid monomer. In the second route, ethyl α‐hydroxymethyl acrylate and t‐butyl α‐hydroxymethyl acrylate were reacted with diethylchlorophosphate. The bulk homopolymerization and copolymerization of these monomers with methyl methacrylate and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile gave soluble polymers. The attempted hydrolysis of the monomers was unsuccessful because of the loss of the diethylphosphate group. The relative reactivities of the monomers in the photopolymerizations were also compared. The ethyl α‐hydroxymethyl acrylate/diethylphosphonic acid monomer showed higher reactivity than the other monomers, which may explain the crosslinking during the polymerization of this monomer. The reactivities of other derivatives were similar, but the rates of polymerization were slow in comparison with those of methyl methacrylate. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3221–3231, 2002     

Novel hyperbranched polymers synthesized via A3 + B(B′) approach by radical addition‐coupling polymerization

In this study, a novel application of radical addition‐coupling polymerization (RACP) for synthesis of hyperbranched polymers is reported. By Cu/PMDETA‐mediated RACP of 2‐methyl‐2‐nitrosopropane with trimethylolpropane tris(2‐bromopropionate) or a bromo‐ended 3‐arm PS macromonomer, two types of hyperbranched polymers with high degree of polymerization are synthesized under mild conditions, respectively. The chemical structures of the hyperbranched polymers are carefully characterized. By selective degradations of the ester groups and weak bonds of NO? C in the polymers, high degree of alternative connection of the two monomers in the synthesized polymers have been identified. Based on the experimental results, mechanism of formation of the hyperbranched polymer is proposed, which includes formation of carbon radicals from the tribromo monomer through single electron transfer, its capture by 2‐methyl‐2‐nitrosopropane that results in nitroxide radical, and cross‐coupling reaction of the nitroxide radical with other carbon radicals. Hyperbranched polymer can be formed in a step‐growth mode after multiple steps of such reactions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 904–913     

Reducible polyethylenimine hydrogels with disulfide crosslinkers prepared by michael addition chemistry as drug delivery carriers: Synthesis,properties, and in vitro release

Degradable hydrogels crosslinked with disulfide bonds were prepared by Michael addition between amine groups of branched polyethylenimine and carbon–carbon double bonds of N,N′‐bis(acryloyl)cystamine. The influences of the chemical composition of the resulted hydrogels on their properties were examined in terms of morphology, surface area, swelling kinetics, and degradation. The hydrogels were uniformly crosslinked and degraded into water‐soluble polymers in the presence of the reducing agent of dithiothreitol, which improved the control over the release of encapsulated drug. The degradation of hydrogels can trigger the release of encapsulated molecules, as well as facilitate the removal of empty vehicles. Results obtained from in vitro drug release suggested that the disulfide crosslinked hydrogels exhibited an accelerated release of encapsulated drug in dithiothreitol‐containing PBS buffer solution. Moreover, the drug release rate decreased gradually with increasing crosslinking density. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4074–4082, 2009