HyperMacs. Long Chain Branched Analogues of Hyperbranched Polymers Prepared by the Polycondensation of AB2 Macromonomers

We describe here a new strategy for the synthesis of polymers with highly branched architectures. The strategy involves the synthesis by anionic polymerization of well-defined AB₂ polystyrene macromonomers with molecular weights from 3,600 to 94,000 gmol^?1, which are then converted via a one-pot polycondensation reaction into high molecular weight, long-chain (hyper)branched architectures. Since the Hyperbranched structures are built up from condensation Macromonomers we have coined the term ‘HyperMac’ to describe these branched polymers. In this paper we report the synthesis of the HyperMacs, the optimal conditions for the polycondensation reaction and some preliminary characterization studies.