RAFT aqueous dispersion polymerization yields poly(ethylene glycol)-based diblock copolymer nano-objects with predictable single phase morphologies.

ABSTRACT: A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macromolecular chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) is prepared in high yield (>95%) with 97% dithiobenzoate chain-end functionality in a three-step synthesis starting from a monohydroxy PEG113 precursor. This PEG113-dithiobenzoate is then used for the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) aqueous dispersion polymerization of 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA). Polymerizations conducted under optimized conditions at 50 °C led to high conversions as judged by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and relatively low diblock copolymer polydispersities (M(w)/M(n) < 1.25) as judged by GPC. The latter technique also indicated good blocking efficiencies, since there was minimal PEG113 macro-CTA contamination. Systematic variation of the mean degree of polymerization o

SUBMITTER: Warren NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3920722 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature