Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched‐poly(siloxysilane)‐based polymeric photoinitiators

Three UV‐sensitive, hyperbranched‐poly(siloxysilane)‐based polymeric photoinitiators, bearing an alkyl phenone moiety linked to the surface of the hyperbranched polymer, were synthesized via the hydrosilylation of hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane) and modified UV‐sensitive compounds. Hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane) was prepared via the polyhydrosilylation of the AB₂‐type monomer methylvinyldichlorosilane. The chemical structures of the polymeric photoinitiators were characterized with ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, UV spectrophotometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The UV‐curing behaviors of the blends of the hyperbranched polymeric photoinitiators with UV‐curable epoxy acrylate (EA) resin were determined by Fourier transform infrared, and the results showed that the initiation efficiency of the polymeric photoinitiators was excellent and that the thermostability of the EA/polymeric photoinitiator curing systems was higher than that of the EA/photoinitiators. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3261–3270, 2006     

End functionalization of hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane): Novel crosslinking agents and hyperbranched–linear star block copolymers

Functionalized hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane)s have been prepared by hydrosilylation reactions involving the multiple silicon hydride (SiH) groups of the polymer to introduce other reactive groups such as epoxy, amine, and hydroxyl groups. The possible use of these modified polymers as novel crosslinking agents is discussed. The same hydrosilylation reaction is used to attach preformed linear poly(isobutylene) (PIB) or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) onto the hyperbranched polymer to afford unusual hyperbranched–linear star block copolymers. The PIB‐derived copolymer is shown to be very hydrophobic, whereas its PEO‐derived counterpart is amphiphilic. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2970–2978, 2000     

UV‐activated hydrosilylation: a facile approach for synthesis of hyperbranched polycarbosilanes

A facile approach for synthesis of hyperbranched polycarbosilane from AB₂ monomer via UV‐activated hydrosilylation is presented in this communication. The polymerization process was monitored using real‐time FTIR spectroscopy and the resulting hyperbranched polycarbosilanes were characterized using ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, ²⁹Si‐NMR and SEC/MALLS. It is found that hyperbranched polycarbosilane can be synthesized from methyldiallylsilane via UV‐activated hydrosilylation with bis(acetylacetonato)platinum(II) as catalyst. The polymerization activated by UV irradiation was much faster than that under thermal conditions. The similar degree of branching, average number of branch units and the exponent of the Mark–Houwink equation demonstrate that the hyperbranched polycarbosilane synthesized via UV‐activated polyhydrosilylation possesses almost the same branching structure as that synthesized via thermal‐activated polyhydrosilylation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of arborescent (hyperbranched) polyisobutylenes from the 4‐(1,2‐oxirane‐isopropyl)styrene inimer

The synthesis of the novel inimer (initiator‐monomer) 4‐(1,2‐oxirane‐isopropyl)styrene EPOIM and the copolymerization of this inimer with isobutylene (IB) to form arborescent polyisobutylene (PIB) is described. Polymerizations were accomplished by use of TiCl₄ coinitiator and the effect of reaction conditions was investigated. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used demonstrate EPOIM incorporation across the whole molecular weight distribution. The average number of branch points (B) per chain measured by use of selective link destruction increased with increasing EPOIM/IB ratio and decreased with [TiCl₄]. Large scale polymerizations were carried out based on results from small scale polymerizations. Architecture analysis carried out through use of branching parameters based on the radii of gyration R_g and hydrodynamic radii R_h measured by multidetector SEC corroborated the proposed arborescent architecture. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5847–5856, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of new hyperbranched poly(aryl ether oxadiazole)s

A new AB₂ monomer was synthesized for use in the preparation of a hyperbranched poly(aryl ether oxadiazole) with terminal phenol functionality. The AB₂ monomer contains two phenolic groups and a single aryl fluoride group that is activated toward nucleophilic displacement by the attached oxadiazole ring. The nucleophilic substitution of the fluoride with the phenolate groups led to the formation of an ether linkage. Subsequently, a hyperbranched poly(aryl ether oxadiazole) having approximately a 44% degree of branching, as determined by a combination of model compound studies and ¹H NMR, was obtained. The terminal phenolic groups underwent facile functionalization, furnishing hyperbranched polymers with a variety of functional chain ends. The nature of the chain‐end groups had a significant influence on the physical properties of the polymers, such as the glass‐transition temperature and their solubility. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3851–3860, 2001     

Synthesis and ionic conductivity of hyperbranched poly(glycidol)

A novel hyperbranched poly(glycidol) (HPG) was prepared and characterized. The synthesized HPG was used as a substrate of a polymer electrolyte. The ionic conductivity of a blend of HPG, polyurethane (PU), and salt was studied. The ionic conductivity of HPG/PU/LiClO₄ was about 6.6 × 10^?6 S · cm^?1 at 20 °C and 6.3 × 10^?4 S · cm^?1 at 60 °C. The results indicated that HPG showed higher solubility for salt than linear polyether when both had the same [O]/[Li⁺] molar ratio. The main reason was that more cavities and a lower degree of chain entanglement in HPG resulted in a lower glass‐transition temperature and were beneficial for decreasing the aggregation of salt or enhancing the ionic conductivity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2225–2230, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of water‐soluble hyperbranched poly(ester amine)s from diacrylates and diamines

Various water‐soluble hyperbranched poly(ester amine)s were synthesized by the direct polyaddition of diamines to diacrylates in the absence of a catalyst. Each diamine contained a secondary amino group and a primary amino group such as 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperazine, N‐methyl‐1,3‐propanediamine, or N‐ethylethylenediamine. When the ratio of diacrylate to diamine was 1/1, no gelation was observed throughout the polymerization. When the ratio of diacrylate to diamine was 3/2, no crosslinking occurred in the diluted solution, whereas an insoluble network formed in the concentrated solution. Fourier transform infrared and mass spectrometry were used to investigate the reaction procedure. The secondary amino group of diamine reacted faster with the vinyl group of diacrylate; this resulted in the formation of the intermediate with an acrylate group and two active hydrogen atoms attached to a nitrogen atom. Further self‐polyaddition of the intermediate, a kind of AB₂‐type monomer, gave the hyperbranched poly(ester amine). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2340–2349, 2002     

UV curing behaviors and hydrophilic characteristics of UV curable waterborne hyperbranched aliphatic polyesters

A series of waterborne hyperbranched polyesters (WBHPs) endcapped with methacrylic and salt-like groups in different ratios have been investigated as UV curable resins. The kinetic studies of the drying step and UV curing were carried out by FT-IR measurements. The drying of the film of 100 μm thickness was completed in less than 6 hr at 70°C or within 10 hr at 50°C in an oven. The influence of different photoinitiators and their concentrations, extent of unsaturation and acid content of WBHP on final unsaturation conversion was studied. The surface free energy is a critical character, which affects the surface properties of a cured film. So one method based on the measurement of contact angle of a pure liquid on a solid surface was applied to determine the polar and dispersive components of the surface energy of UV cured films. The investigations of surface energy of WBHPs illustrated that those with more acid content and thus higher polar component are more sensitive to water, while those containing less acid content and thus lower polar term are less water sensitive. Moreover, the UV cured films of WBHPs and their blends with commercial waterborne resins (trade name EB 210, EB 2002, EB 11 and IRR 160) have acceptable pendulum hardness varying from 55 to 180 sec. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multistimuli‐responsive hyperbranched poly(ether amine)s

Multistimuli‐responsive hyperbranched poly(ether amine)s (hPEAs) were successfully synthesized through nucleophilic addition/ring‐opening reaction of commercial diglycidyl ether and amine via one‐pot synthesis. In aqueous solution, these hPEAs exhibited very sharp response to temperature, pH, and ionic strength, with well‐tunable cloud point (CP). Through changing the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chain content of hPEAs, pH, and ionic strength, the CP could be adjustable from 35 to 100 °C, and increased with the increasing of PEO content, the decreasing of pH and ionic strength. The CP of hPEAs aqueous solution presents a linear relationship to the PEO content in pH range from 6.6 to 8.0. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) investigation indicated that these hPEAs dispersed in aqueous solution to form the stable nanomicelles, whose aggregation can be controlled by temperature, pH, and ionic strength. Moreover, the obtained hPEAs contain reactive amino groups in periphery and hydroxyl groups inside, which can be further functionalized. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4252–4261, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched poly(urea‐urethane)s based on AA* and B2B* monomers

Hyperbranched aromatic and aliphatic poly(urea‐urethane)s were prepared by the one‐pot method using 2,4‐toluylene diisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate, and 2(3‐isocyanatopropyl)cyclohexyl isocyanate as AA* monomers and diethanol amine and diisopropanol amine as B₂B* monomers. The characteristics of the resulting polymers were very sensitive to slight changes in the reaction conditions, such as temperature, concentration, and type of catalyst used, as can be seen from the results of gel permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. The structures were analyzed in detail using ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. By using model compounds, the different isomeric structures of the TDI polymers were deduced, their percentages of their linear, terminal, and dendritic subunits were calculated, and their degree of branching (DB) was determined. DB values up to 70% were reached depending on the reaction conditions and stoichiometry of the monomers. The number of terminal groups decreased significantly when dibutylamine was used to stop the reaction instead of B₂B*, indicating the presence of a significant number of unreacted isocyanate groups in the hyperbranched product when the polyaddition reaction was stopped. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3062–3081, 2004     

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     

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     

Intramolecular cyclization in the polymerization of ABx monomers: Approaches to the control of molecular weight and polydispersity in hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane)

Different approaches to control the molecular weight of hyperbranched poly(siloxysilane) have been explored. Because the intramolecular hydrosilylation competitively consumes the vinyl groups of the monomer and other oligomeric intermediates, the conventional single-batch bulk process generally affords polymer with a relatively low molecular weight (M_w = 5000) in ca. 60% yield. We have developed a progressive slow addition process that effectively increases the molecular weight of the final polymers and improves preparation yield by reducing the occurrence of cyclization. Using this gradual growth method, polymers with molecular weights in the range of 6–86,000 (M_w) and polydispersities in the range 2–15 were easily obtained in yields of ca. 70–80%. More importantly, both the molecular weight and the polydispersity could be controlled by changing the rate of addition or the amount of monomer fed. The slower the addition, or the larger the amount of monomer added, the higher the molecular weight and polydispersity of the resulting polymer. In seeded polymerizations, a similar trend was observed with a maximum M_w near 84,000 and a yield of 80%, values that are very significantly higher than those obtained by the single batch process described earlier. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3193–3201, 1999     

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 and characterization of new poly(ethyleneimine)‐g‐poly(methyl methacrylate) star‐block copolymers with hyperbranched cationic core

Hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (hb‐PEI) is used as polymeric scaffold to synthesize new PEI‐g‐polymethylmethacrylate (PEI‐g‐PMMA) block copolymers, consisting of a hyperbranched, partially quarternized cationic core, and PMMA‐arms. The arms are grafted to the PEI scaffold by means of the “grafting to” method. Ammonium groups, covalently bond to the hyperbranched core, provide good adhesion to negatively charged surfaces, even in case of low‐surface charges. The PMMA strands provide compatibility of the macromolecules to PMMA matrices, hence generating potential dispersants, and compatibilizers for PMMA. A peculiar association behavior in organic solution is observed as supported by dynamic light scattering and DOSY measurements. First evidences of the applicability of the macromolecules as dispersants to prepare PMMA‐nanocomposites are given. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3700–3715     

Temperature‐sensitive hyperbranched poly(glycidol)s with oligo(ethylene glycol) monoethers

Temperature‐dependent polymers are intelligent materials. In this study, biocompatible and temperature‐dependent hyperbranched poly(glycidol)s (HPGs) were synthesized and characterized. HPGs were succinylated then modified with the oligo(ethylene glycol) monoethers (OEG) for example methoxy di(ethylene glycol), methoxy tri(ethylene glycol), methoxy tetra(ethylene glycol), ethoxy di(ethylene glycol), ethoxy tri(ethylene glycol), and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)s at different ratios. These polymers exhibited phase transitions at a specific temperature (the cloud point), depending on the composition of OEG. By tuning the composition of OEG in the polymer, thermosensitive polymers with cloud point near body temperature were produced. Endothermic peaks of these polymers were observed in the vicinity of the cloud point. It is suggested that at temperatures below the cloud point the polymers formed hydrophobic shells and became more hydrophobic at temperatures above the cloud point. Because they exhibited no cytotoxicity, these temperature‐sensitive polymers are useful for biomedical applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4047–4054, 2010     

Synthesis and thermal crosslinking of benzophenone‐modified poly(dimethylsiloxane)s

Dihydridocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium catalyzes the regiospecific anti‐Markovnikov addition of an ortho C? H bond of benzophenone across the C? C double bonds of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly(dimethylsiloxane/vinylmethylsiloxane) (99:1), α,ω‐bis(vinyldimethylsilyloxy)poly(dimethylsiloxane), and 1,3‐divinyltetramethyldisiloxane to yield α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly[dimethylsiloxane/2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethylmethylsiloxane]), α,ω‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyldimethylsilyloxy]poly(dimethylsiloxane), and 1,3‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyl]tetramethyldisiloxane, respectively. These materials have been characterized with ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR and IR spectroscopy. Their molecular weight distributions have been determined by gel permeation chromatography. The thermal stability of the polymers has been measured by thermogravimetric analysis, and their glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The molecular weight distribution, thermal stability, and T_g's of the modified polysiloxanes are similar to those of the precursor polymers. The molecular weights of these materials can be significantly increased via heating to 300 °C for 1 h. This may be due to crosslinking, by pyrocondensation, of pendant anthracene groups, which are produced by the pyrolysis of the attached ortho‐alkyl benzophenones. UV spectroscopy of the pyrolysate of 1,3‐bis[2‐(2′‐benzophenonyl)ethyl]tetramethyldisiloxane has confirmed the presence of pendant anthracene groups. Thermal crosslinking by the pyrocondensation of pendant anthracene groups has been verified by the pyrolysis of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy)copoly[dimethylsiloxane/2‐(9′‐anthracenyl)ethylmethylsiloxane] (97:3). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5514–5522, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched aromatic poly(ether imide)s with terminal amino groups

We synthesized an AB₂‐type monomer, 4‐{4‐[di(4‐aminophenyl)methyl]phenoxy}phthalic acid, which contained one phthalic acid group and two aminophenyl functionalities. The direct self‐polycondensation of the AB₂‐type monomer in the presence of triphenylphosphite as an activator afforded a hyperbranched poly(ether imide) with a large number of terminal amino groups. This polymer was characterized with ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The degree of branching of the hyperbranched poly(ether imide) was approximately 56%, as determined by a combination of model compound studies and an analysis of ¹H NMR spectroscopy integration data. The terminal amino groups underwent functionalization readily. The solubility and thermal properties of the resulting polymers depended on the nature of the chain end groups. In addition, the hyperbranched poly(ether imide) was grafted with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the grafted POSS molecules aggregated to form a nanocomposite material. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3726–3735, 2003     

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     

Synthesis,characterization, and aqueous self‐assembly of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)‐functionalized hyperbranched fluoropolymers

Complex amphiphilic polymers were synthesized via core‐first polymerization followed by alkylation‐based grafting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Inimer 1‐(4′‐(bromomethyl)benzyloxy)‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐4‐vinylbenzene was synthesized and subjected to atom transfer radical self‐condensing vinyl polymerization to afford hyperbranched fluoropolymer (HBFP) as the hydrophobic core component with a number‐averaged molecular weight of 29 kDa and polydispersity index of 2.1. The alkyl halide chain ends on the HBFP were allowed to undergo reaction with monomethoxy‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) amine (PEO_x‐NH₂) at different grafting numbers and PEO chain lengths to afford PEO‐functionalized HBFPs [(PEO_x)_y‐HBFPs], with x = 15 while y = 16, 22, or 29, x = 44 while y = 16, and x = 112 while y = 16. The amphiphilic, grafted block copolymers were found to aggregate in aqueous solution to give micelles with number‐averaged diameters (D_av) of 12–28 nm, as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An increase of the PEO:HBFP ratio, by increase in either the grafting densities (y values) or the chain lengths (x values), led to decreased TEM‐measured diameters. These complex, amphiphilic (PEO_x)_y‐HBFPs, with tunable sizes, might find potential applications as nanoscopic biomedical devices, such as drug delivery vehicles and ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging agents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3487–3496, 2010