Synthesis and Properties of Multicleavable Amphiphilic Dendritic Comblike and Toothbrushlike Copolymers Comprising Alternating PEG and PCL Grafts

A polymerization scheme to obtain hyperbranched and dendritic functional copolymers is described here. Through the use of self-condensing vinyl polymerization, sequence controlled copolymerization, and RAFT, this lab was able to create alternating AB copolymer "combs," and further functionalize the ends of these combs to make "toothbrushes." Near perfect AB sequencing was achieved by RAFT copolymerization with a styrene derivative and a maleimide derivative. Maleimides have a very low tendency to self-polymerize, but a rapid rate of polymerization with other vinyl monomers. 

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/ma3025283 Posted by Molly Sowers