1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidine-Mediated Zwitterionic Ring-Opening Polymerization of Sarcosine-Derived N-Thiocarboxyanhydride toward Well-Defined Polysarcosine.

ABSTRACT: Zwitterionic ring-opening polymerization (ZROP) of sarcosine-derived N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (Me-NNTAs) can be induced by using 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG) initiators in CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C, rapidly producing well-defined polysarcosine polymers with controlled molecular weights (M _n = 1.9-37 kg/mol) and narrow molecular weight distributions (Đ = 1.01-1.12). The reaction exhibits characteristics of a living polymerization, evidenced by pseudo-first-order polymerization kinetics, the linear increase of polymer molecular weight (M _n) with conversion, and the successful chain extension experiments. The polymerization is proposed to proceed via propagating macro-zwitterions bearing a cationic 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidini

SUBMITTER: Siefker D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9011146 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature