Controlled synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers with pendant glucose residues by living cationic polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers of vinyl ethers (VEs) of the type —[CH₂CH(OCH₂CH₂OR)]_m—[CH₂CH(OiBu)]_n—were synthesized by living cationic polymerization, where R is a D-glucose residue, and m and n are the degrees of polymerization (m = 20–50; n = 11–89). To obtain them, sequential living block copolymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) and the vinyl ether carrying 1,2:5,6-diisopropylidene-D -glucose residue was conducted by using the HCl adduct of IBVE, CH₃CH(OiBu)Cl, as initiator in conjunction with zinc iodide. These precursor block copolymers had a narrow molecular weight distribution (M̄_w/M̄_n ∼ 1.1) and a controlled composition. Treatment of them with a trifluoroacetic acid/water mixture led to the target amphiphiles. The solubility of the amphiphilic block copolymers in various solvents depended strongly on composition or the m/n ratio. Their solvent-cast thin films were observed, under a transmission electron microscope, to exhibit various microphase-separated surface morphologies such as spheres, cylinders, and lamellae, depending on composition. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Amphiphilic comb-shaped polymers from poly(ethylene glycol) macromonomers

Comb-shaped amphiphilic graft copolymers composed of hydrophobic backbones and hydrophilic side chains were prepared by radical copolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate macromonomers, and methacrylate and acrylate comonomers in toluene. The copolymerizations were very sensitive to the reaction conditions, and insoluble cross-linked gels were easily formed. The yields of soluble copolymers were affected by the initiator concentration, the macromonomer concentration, and the choice of chain transfer agents and comonomers. Solubilities of the copolymers in water or methanol were found to depend on the sizes and the numbers of the PEG side chains. The copolymers showed surface activity with CMC:s in the order of 0.1–1.5 g/L and surface tensions of 36–56 dyn/cm. When tested as emulsifiers most of the copolymers gave oil-in-water type emulsions at room temperature. Polymers carrying MPEG 2000 side chains were crystalline with melting points of 38–44°C, while those based on PEG 400 and 1000 were mostly amorphous with glass transition temperatures between -55 and -60°C. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched amphiphilic block copolymers prepared via self‐condensing RAFT polymerization

Four families of hyperbranched amphiphilic block copolymers of styrene (Sty, less polar monomer) and 2‐vinylpyridine (2VPy, one of the two more polar monomers) or 4‐vinylpyridine (4VPy, the other polar monomer) were prepared via self‐condensing vinyl reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (SCVP‐RAFT). Two families contained 4VPy as the more polar monomer, one of which possessing a Sty‐b‐4VPy architecture, and the other possessing the reverse block architecture. The other two families bore 2VPy as the more polar monomer and had either a 2VPy‐b‐Sty or a Sty‐b‐2VPy architecture. Characterization of the hyperbranched block copolymers in terms of their molecular weights and compositions indicated better control when the VPy monomers were polymerized first. Control over the molecular weights of the hyperbranched copolymers was also confirmed with the aminolysis of the dithioester moiety at the branching points to produce linear polymers with number‐average molecular weights slightly greater than the theoretically expected ones, due to recombination of the resulting thiol‐terminated linear polymers. The amphiphilicity of the hyperbranched copolymers led to their self‐assembly in selective solvents, which was probed using atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering, which indicated the formation of large spherical micelles of uniform diameter. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1310–1319     

新型线状-树枝状两亲嵌段共聚物的合成

本文设计合成了一系列由不同链长的聚丙烯酸(PAA)为亲水嵌段和不同代数聚苄醚树枝体(Dendr.PBE)为疏水嵌段的杂化共聚物(PAA-Dendr.PBE)。     

Controlled synthesis of carboxylic acid end‐capped poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) and copolymers with 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate

1H,1H,2H,2H‐Heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate (AC8) was polymerized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer and copolymerized with 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate with the formation of random and block copolymers, respectively. The kinetics of the (co)polymerization was monitored with ¹H NMR spectroscopy and showed that the homopolymerization and random copolymerization of AC8 were under control. As a result of this control and the use of S‐1‐dodecyl‐S‐(α,α′‐dimethyl‐α″‐acetic acid)trithiocarbonate as a chain‐transfer agent, the copolymer chains were end‐capped by an α‐carboxylic acid group. Moreover, the controlled polymerization of AC8 was confirmed by the successful synthesis of poly(1H,1H,2H,2H‐heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) diblock copolymers, which were typically amphiphilic compounds. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1499–1506, 2007     

Novel synthesis of biodegradable poly(lactide-co-ethylene glycol) block copolymers

Biodegradable and amphiphilic diblock copolymers [polylactide-block-poly(ethylene glycol)] and triblock copolymers [polylactide-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide] were synthesized by the anionic ring-opening polymerization of lactides in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether or poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium hexamethyldisilazide as a catalyst. The polymerization in toluene at room temperature was very fast, yielding copolymers of controlled molecular weights and tailored molecular architectures. The chemical structure of the copolymers was investigated with ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by ¹³C NMR and differential scanning calorimetry investigations. The monomodal profile of the molecular weight distribution by gel permeation chromatography provided further evidence of block copolymer formation as well as the absence of cyclic species. Additional confirmation of the block copolymers was obtained by the substitution of 2-butanol for poly(ethylene glycol); butyl groups were clearly identified by ¹H NMR as polymer chain end groups. The effects of the copolymer composition and lactide stereochemistry on the copolymer properties were examined. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2235–2245, 2007     

Poly(styrene‐b‐isobutylene) multiarm star‐block copolymers

Multiarm star‐branched polymers based on poly(styrene‐b‐isobutylene) (PS‐PIB) block copolymer arms were synthesized under controlled/living cationic polymerization conditions using the 2‐chloro‐2‐propylbenzene (CCl)/TiCl₄/pyridine (Py) initiating system and divinylbenzene (DVB) as gel‐core‐forming comonomer. To optimize the timing of isobutylene (IB) addition to living PS⊕, the kinetics of styrene (St) polymerization at −80°C were measured in both 60 : 40 (v : v) methyl cyclohexane (MCHx) : MeCl and 60 : 40 hexane : MeCl cosolvents. For either cosolvent system, it was found that the polymerizations followed first‐order kinetics with respect to the monomer and the number of actively growing chains remained invariant. The rate of polymerization was slower in MCHx : MeCl (k_app = 2.5 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹) compared with hexane : MeCl (k_app = 5.6 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹) ([CCl]_o = [TiCl₄]/15 = 3.64 × 10⁻³M; [Py] = 4 × 10⁻³M; [St]_o = 0.35M). Intermolecular alkylation reactions were observed at [St]_o = 0.93M but could be suppressed by avoiding very high St conversion and by setting [St]_o ≤ 0.35M. For St polymerization, k_app = 1.1 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ ([CCl]_o = [TiCl₄]/15 = 1.82 × 10⁻³M; [Py] = 4 × 10⁻³M; [St]_o = 0.35M); this was significantly higher than that observed for IB polymerization (k_app = 3.0 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹; [CCl]_o = [Py] = [TiCl₄]/15 = 1.86 × 10⁻³M; [IB]_o = 1.0M). Blocking efficiencies were higher in hexane : MeCl compared with MCHx : MeCl cosolvent system. Star formation was faster with PS‐PIB arms compared with PIB homopolymer arms under similar conditions. Using [DVB] = 5.6 × 10⁻²M = 10 times chain end concentration, 92% of PS‐PIB arms (M_n,PS = 2600 and M_n,PIB = 13,400 g/mol) were linked within 1 h at −80°C with negligible star–star coupling. It was difficult to achieve complete linking of all the arms prior to the onset of star–star coupling. Apparently, the presence of the St block allows the PS‐PIB block copolymer arms to be incorporated into growing star polymers by an additional mechanism, namely, electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS), which leads to increased rates of star formation and greater tendency toward star–star coupling. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1629–1641, 1999     

Biodegradable amphiphilic block copolymers containing functionalized PEO blocks:Controlled synthesis and biomedical potentials

A series of controllable amphiphilic block copolymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) as the hydrophilic block and poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL) as the hydrophobic block with the amino terminal group at the end of the PEO chain(PCL-b-PEO-NH2) were synthesized.Based on the further reaction of reactive amino groups,diblock copolymers with functional carboxyl groups(PCL-b-PEO-COOH) and functional compounds RGD(PCL-b-PEO-RGD) as well as the triblock copolymers with thermosensitive PNIPAAm blocks(PCL-b-PEO-b-P...     

Synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic fluorinated pentablock copolymers based on Pluronic F127

The synthesis and self‐assembly behavior of pentablock copolymers consisting of Pluronic F127 (PEO₁₀₀‐PPO₆₅‐PEO₁₀₀) and poly(2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5‐octafluoropentyl methacrylate) (POFPMA) is herein described. Using the difunctional potassium alcoholate of F127, K⁺O^–‐(PEO₁₀₀‐PPO₆₅‐PEO₁₀₀)‐O^–K⁺, as the macroinitiator, the POFPMA‐F127‐POFPMA pentablock copolymers were synthesized via oxyanion‐initiated polymerization. The chain length of POFPMA can be controlled by the original molar ratio of macroinitiator to OFPMA monomer, that is, F‐monomer. The composition and chemical structure of POFPMA‐F127‐POFPMA pentablock copolymers have been characterized by FTIR, ¹HNMR, and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography techniques. The solution behavior of POFPMA‐F127‐POFPMA copolymers was investigated by the methods of surface tension, cloud point, transmission electron microscopy, and high performance particle sizer (HPPS). The results indicate that these Pluronic F127‐based block copolymers modified with fluorinated segments possess relatively high surface activity and low cloud points, depending on various factors, such as the length of fluorinated block, the concentration of the copolymers in aqueous solution, and the adscititious inorganic salt. TEM measurements showed that the pentablock copolymers can self‐assemble in aqueous solution to form various micellar morphologies. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3029–3041, 2008     

β‐Lactam functionalized poly(isoprene‐b‐ethylene oxide) amphiphilic block copolymers

Amphiphilic block copolymers containing β‐lactam groups on the polyisoprene block were synthesized from poly(isoprene‐b‐ethylene oxide) (IEO) diblock copolymer precursors, prepared by anionic polymerization. β‐Lactam functionalization was achieved via reaction of the polyisoprene (PI) block with chlorosulfonyl isocyanate and subsequent reduction. The resulting block copolymers were molecularly characterized by SEC, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopies and DSC. Functionalization was found to proceed in high yields, altering the solubility properties of the PI block and those of the functionalized diblocks. Hydrogen bond formation is assumed to be responsible for the decreased crystallinity of the poly(ethylene oxide) block (PEO) in the bulk state as indicated by DSC measurements. The self‐assembly behavior of the β‐lactam functionalized poly(isoprene‐b‐ethylene oxide) copolymers (LIEO) in aqueous solutions was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), fluorescence spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nearly spherical loose aggregates were formed by the LIEO block copolymers, having lower aggregation numbers and higher cmc values compared to the IEO precursors, as a result of the increased polarity of the β‐lactam rings incorporated in the PI blocks. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 24–33, 2010     

Random copolymerization of macromonomers as a versatile strategy to synthesize mixed-graft block copolymers

The random copolymerization of norbornene-functionalized macromonomers was explored as a method of synthesizing mixed-graft block copolymers (mGBCPs). The copolymerization kinetics of a model system of polystyrene (PS) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) macromonomers was first analyzed, revealing a gradient composition of side chains along the mGBCP backbone. The phase separation behavior of mGBCPs with PS and PLA side chains of various backbone lengths and side chain molar ratios was investigated, and increasing the backbone length was found to stabilize the phase-separated nanostructures. The graft architecture was also demonstrated to improve the processability of the mGBCP, compared to a linear counterpart. Investigations of mGBCPs comprised of polydimethylsiloxane and poly(ethylene oxide) side chains exemplified the diverse self-assembled morphologies, including a Frank-Kasper A15 phase, that can be obtained with mGBCPs synthesized by random copolymerization of macromonomers. Lastly, a ternary mGBCP was synthesized by the copolymerization of three macromonomers.     

Synthesis and characterizations of the four‐armed amphiphilic block copolymer S[poly(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(methyl acrylate)]4

The polymers poly[(2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4yl) methyl acrylate] (PDMDMA) and four‐armed PDMDMA with well‐defined structures were prepared by the polymerization of (2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4yl) methyl acrylate (DMDMA) in the presence of an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator system. The successive hydrolyses of the polymers obtained produced the corresponding water‐soluble polymers poly(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl acrylate) (PDHPA) and four‐armed PDHPA. The controllable features for the ATRP of DMDMA were studied with kinetic measurements, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and NMR data. With the macroinitiators PDMDMA–Br and four‐armed PDMDMA–Br in combination with CuBr and 2,2′‐bipyridine, the block polymerizations of methyl acrylate (MA) with PDMDMA were carried out to afford the AB diblock copolymer PDMDMA‐b‐MA and the four‐armed block copolymer S{poly[(2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4yl) methyl acrylate]‐block‐poly(methyl acrylate)}₄, respectively. The block copolymers were hydrolyzed in an acidic aqueous solution, and the amphiphilic diblock and four‐armed block copolymers poly(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(methyl acrylate) were prepared successfully. The structures of these block copolymers were verified with NMR and GPC measurements. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3062–3072, 2001     

Amphiphilic polymer gel electrolytes. I. preparation of gels based on poly(ethylene oxide) graft copolymers containing different ionophobic groups

Amphiphilic graft copolymers were prepared via the radical copolymerization of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomers with fluorocarbon or hydrocarbon acrylates in toluene with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. ¹H NMR spectroscopy confirmed that the composition of the graft copolymers corresponded well to the monomer feed. For gel electrolytes prepared from the amphiphilic copolymers, the nature of the ionophobic parts of the amphiphilic graft copolymers had a great influence on the ion conductivity. Gel electrolytes based on graft copolymers containing fluorocarbon side chains showed significantly higher ion conductivity than electrolytes based on graft copolymers containing hydrocarbon groups. The ambient‐temperature ion conductivity was about 2.6 mS/cm at 20 °C for a gel electrolyte based on an amphiphilic graft copolymer consisting of an acrylate backbone carrying PEO and fluorocarbon side chains. Corresponding gels based on graft copolymers with PEO side chains and hydrocarbon groups showed an ambient‐temperature ion conductivity of about 1.2 mS/cm. The gel electrolytes contained 30 wt % copolymer and 70 wt % 1 M LiPF₆ in an ethylene carbonate/γ‐butyrolactone (2/1 w/w) mixture. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2223–2232, 2001     

Controlled radical polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate at ambient temperature: Effect of initiator structure and synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers

Controlled and very rapid ambient temperature polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and single electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) conditions is reported. Two initiators, one that would generate a secondary radical and another that would generate a primary radical, upon activation, are used. A very active catalyst CuBr/Me₆TREN was found to initiate rapid polymerization whether it was the primary or the secondary initiator. The polymerization was well controlled and very rapid. The initiator that produces secondary initiating site is found to result in more rapid polymerization than the one that produces primary initiating site. To explore the possibility of rapid ambient temperature polymerization through the SET‐LRP mechanism, the polymerization was also carried out in the presence of DMSO. It was found that the polymerization was much faster compared to the bulk ATRP, without loss of control. Styrene was block copolymerized from PtBA macroinitiators and vice versa. In both the cases, block copolymers with controlled molecular weights were obtained. The tBA block of the polymer was selectively hydrolyzed to get amphiphilic block copolymers. This amphiphilic block copolymer was found to be useful in preparing stable cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticulate dispersion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Macromolecular engineering of polylactones and polylactides. XV. Poly(D,L)-lactide macromonomers as precursors of biocompatible graft copolymers and bioerodible gels

The functional aluminum alkoxide, Et₂Al? O? (CH₂)₂? O-C(O)? C(CH₃)?CH₂, is a very effective initiator for the (D ,L )-lactide (LA) polymerization in toluene at 707deg;C. The coordination-insertion type of polymerization is living and exclusively yields linear P (D ,L )-lactide macromonomers of a predictable molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution. IR and ¹H-NMR studies show that the methacryloyl group of the initiator is selectively and quantitatively attached to one chain end, whereas the second extremity is systematically a hydroxyl function resulting from the hydrolysis of the living growing site. α,ω-Dimethacryloyl-P(D ,L )-lactides, i.e., α,ω-macromonomers, have also been successfully synthesized by the additional control of the termination step, i.e., by reaction of Al alkoxide end groups with methacryloyl chloride. α-Macromonomer and α,ω-macromonomer P(D ,L )-lactides are easily free-radical copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), resulting in a hydrophilic poly (HEMA) backbone grafted with hydrophobic P(D ,L )-lactide subchains and a biodegradable amphiphilic network, respectively. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of ABA‐type amphiphilic tri‐block copolymers through anionic polymerization using end functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

ABA‐type amphiphilic tri‐block copolymers were successfully synthesized from poly(ethylene oxide) derivatives through anionic polymerization. When poly(styrene) anions were reacted with telechelic bromine‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) ( 1 ) in 2:1 mole ratio, poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) tri‐block copolymers were formed. Similarly, stable telechelic carbanion‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide), prepared from 1,1‐diphenylethylene‐terminated poly (ethylene oxide) ( 2 ) and sec‐BuLi, was also used to polymerize styrene and methyl methacrylate separately, as a result, poly (styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) and poly (methyl methacrylate)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(methyl methacrylate) tri‐block copolymers were formed respectively. All these tri‐block copolymers and poly(ethylene oxide) derivatives, 1 and 2 , were characterized by spectroscopic, calorimetric, and chromatographic techniques. Theoretical molecular weights of the tri‐block copolymers were found to be similar to the experimental molecular weights, and narrow polydispersity index was observed for all the tri‐block copolymers. Differential scanning calorimetric studies confirmed the presence of glass transition temperatures of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(styrene), and poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks in the tri‐block copolymers. Poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) tri‐block copolymers, prepared from polystyryl anion and 1 , were successfully used to prepare micelles, and according to the transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering results, the micelles were spherical in shape with mean average diameter of 106 ± 5 nm. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

A novel route to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and its amphiphilic block copolymers

The vinyl of the ester group of 2-vinyloxyethyl methacrylate was first selectively reacted with acetic acid to obtain 2-[1-(acetoxy)ethoxy]ethyl methacrylate ( 2 ). This protected monomer was subjected to anionic polymerization in tetrahydrofuran at −60°C in the presence of LiCl, using 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium as initiator. The molecular weight of the polymer could thus be controlled and a narrow molecular weight distribution obtained. The protecting group, 1-(acetoxy)ethyl, could be easily eliminated (by quenching the polymerization reaction with methanol and water) to generate poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)). Block copolymers were also prepared by the sequential anionic polymerization of MMA and 2 or styrene and 2 . They possess narrow molecular weight distributions, and controlled molecular weights and compositions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1865–1872, 1998     

Controlled radical polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate with a hydrophilic ruthenium complex and the synthesis of amphiphilic random and block copolymers with methyl methacrylate

A hydrophilic ruthenium complex with ionic phosphine ligands { 1 : RuCl₂[P(3‐C₆H₄SO₃Na)(C₆H₅)₂]₂} induced controlled radical polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in methanol under homogeneous conditions; the initiator was a chloride (R‐Cl) such as CHCl₂COPh. The number‐average molecular weights of poly(HEMA) increased in direct proportion to monomer conversion, and the molecular weight distributions were relatively narrow (M_w/M_n = 1.4–1.7). A similar living radical polymerization was possible with (MMA)₂‐Cl [(CH₃)₂C(CO₂CH₃)CH₂C(CH₃)(CO₂CH₃)Cl] as an initiator coupled with amine additives such as n‐Bu₃N. In a similar homogeneous system in methanol, methyl methacrylate (MMA) could also be polymerized in living fashion with the R‐Cl/ 1 initiating system. Especially for such hydrophobic polymers, the water‐soluble ruthenium catalyst was readily removed from the polymers by simple washing with an aqueous dilute acid. This system can be applied to the direct synthesis of amphiphilic random and block copolymers of HEMA and MMA. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2055–2065, 2002     

Synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers via ring opening polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers were synthesized via a dual initiator chain transfer agent (inifer) that successfully initiated the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of l -lactide (LLA) and subsequently mediated the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate (PEGEEMA). The formation of each polymer block was confirmed using ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as gel permeation chromatography, and comprehensive kinetics studies provide valuable insights into the factors influencing the synthesis of well-defined block copolymers. The effect of monomer concentration, reaction time, and molar ratios of inifer to catalyst on the ROP of LLA are discussed, as well as the ability to produce poly(lactide) blocks of different molecular weights. The synthesis of hydrophilic PPEGEEMA blocks was also monitored via kinetics to provide a better understanding of the role the chain transfer agent plays in facilitating the complex and sterically demanding RAFT polymerization of PEGEEMA.     

Star-graft copolymers. Synthesis of amphiphilic graft copolymers with star-branched poly(oxyethylene) side chains

The synthesis of novel amphiphilic star-graft (SG) copolymers containing hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) (PEO) side chains attached to a hydrophobic backbone by multifunctional entity is reported. In a first step poly(phthalimidoacrylate-co-styrene) was converted into polymers containing different number of multifunctional branching cites distributed along the main chain by partial aminolysis of the phthalimidoacrylate units with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane. In the second step, these reactive copolymers yielded SG copolymers with different number of star-shaped PEO side groups by reaction with isocyanato terminated methoxy–PEO. The copolymers were characterized by size-exclusion chromatography, IR-, and NMR-spectroscopy. Their thermal properties were examined by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The studies indicate that the grafting degree and hydrogen bonding determine to a great extent the behavior of the SG copolymers in solid state and in solution. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 673–679, 1997