Sacrificial Synthesis of Hydroxy-Telechelic Metathesis Polymers via Multiblock-Copolymers
The synthesis of well-defined telechelic ring-opening metathesis polymers has been achieved by Sacrificial Synthesis. With the formation of cleavable triblock-copolymers, precise control over the molecular weight and the degree of functionalization was achieved. Introducing cleavable monomers that can be addressed separately, sequential deprotection was accomplished which opened the path to more sophisticated polymeric materials bearing different substituents at their respective chain ends. Sacrificial penta- and heptablock-copolymers are also presented which allow the synthesis of well-defined telechelic polymers in good yields and significantly improved initiator efficiency.
Thiol-functionalized ROMP polymers via Sacrificial Synthesis
The synthesis of well-defined and highly functionalized thiol-functionalized polymers has been accomplished via the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). A sacrificial synthesis-based approach was chosen for this interesting functional group since it has proven to give precise control over molecular weight and selective placement of end-groups on a different functionality before. Thiol-functionalized ROMP-polymers were successfully synthesized employing thioacetal monomers, which can be cleaved by hydrogenation leaving the desired thiol group behind. The placement of this highly reactive functional group at one chain end of a poly(norborneneimide) is demonstrated by analytical meth…
Hydrogen-Bonded Aggregates of Oligoaramide−Poly(ethylene glycol) Block Copolymers
Rod−coil copolymers with an oligomeric rod aggregate on a nanometer length scale, which is important for many applications like e.g. organic photovoltaics. However, this aggregation behavior and the driving forces such as hydrogen bonding and π−π interactions, as well as the role of side groups, are not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated these noncovalent interactions in oligo(p-benzamide)−poly(ethylene glycol) (OPBA−PEG) copolymers using solid-state NMR supported by wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarization optical microscopy (POM). It was found that longer OPBAs form layered β-sheet-like aggregates and that these are stabilized …
Monofunctional metathesis polymers via sacrificial diblock copolymers.
Rod–coil copolymers from oligo(p-benzamide) foldamers
Self assembling rod–coil copolymers were synthesized in which oligo(p-benzamide) rods up to the octamer were prepared via iterative solution synthesis employing the acid labile 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl amide protective group.
A Precursor Route to Supramolecular Oligo(p-phenylene terephthalamide) Block Copolymers
New soluble precursors for the step-wise synthesis of oligo(p-phenylene terephthalamide) block copolymers are described. Kevlar-like aramide oligomers up to the hexamer (six phenyl groups) were prepared in a polymer-analogous manner. Activating the carboxylic-acid-carrying oligomers as carbonyl chlorides while reversibly transforming the aromatic amides into imidoyl chlorides gave access to soluble precursors. The dimer and tetramer precursor were prepared and used in block copolymer synthesis. Single-crystal XRD confirmed the structure of the dimer precursor. Above a critical rod length, the Kevlar-like rod-coil block copolymers show strong aggregation in non-polar solvents such as chlorof…
Solid-Phase Synthesis of Oligo(p-benzamide) Foldamers
[reaction: see text] A coupling protocol has been developed which allows the synthesis of oligo(p-benzamide)s on solid support. Aromatic carboxylic acids are activated in situ with thionyl chloride and used to acylate secondary aromatic amines. N-p-Methoxy benzyl (PMB) as well as N-hexyl protected monomers were investigated. Heterosequences of both monomers were synthesized. Such nanoscale objects are important building blocks for supramolecular chemistry.
Hairy Aramide Rod−Coil Copolymers
We have synthesized monodisperse “hairy rod oligomers” based on oligo(p-benzamide)s carrying alkyl side chains and conjugated them with polydisperse poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. The well-defined oligomers were synthesized from 4-amino-2-hexyloxybenzoic acid using a commercial peptide synthesizer. The PEG conjugated hairy rod−coil block copolymers self-assemble in polar and nonpolar organic solvents. The self-organization in solution was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DSL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as a function of solvent, equilibration time, and polarity of the substrate. Individual fibers and fiberlike bundles of aggregates could be observed. As all hydr…
End Capping Ring-Opening Olefin Metathesis Polymerization Polymers with Vinyl Lactones
The selective placement of a functional group at the chain end of a ring-opening metathesis polymer using ruthenium carbene initiators has been a significant limitation. Here we demonstrate a highly effective and facile end-capping technique for ROMP with living ruthenium carbene chain ends using single-turnover olefin metathesis substrates. Vinylene carbonate and 3H-furanone are introduced as functionalization and termination agents for the ruthenium-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization. This leads directly to the formation of functional polymer end groups without further chemical transformation steps. Aldehyde and carboxylic acid end groups can be introduced by this new method…
Supramolecular PEG-co-oligo(p-benzamide)s prepared on a peptide synthesizer.
An automated synthesis protocol has been developed for the preparation of oligo(p-benzamide)s on solid support using a commercial peptide synthesizer employing a variation of standard Fmoc chemistry. Bis(trichloromethyl carbonate) in NMP was used to activate the aromatic carboxylic acids for acylation of secondary aromatic amines on solid support. N-Protected hepta(p-benzamide) was automatically prepared on solid support and manually converted to a solid supported block co-oligomer by attaching a poly(ethylene glycol) chain. Cleavage from the support could be achieved with minimal loss of the p-methoxybenzyl N-protective group. While the N-protected block co-oligomer was molecularly dissolv…
Heterotelechelic Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymers
By combining sacrificial synthesis with the vinyl lactone termination technique, heterotelechelic polymers were synthesized. The nonterminating nature of sacrificial synthesis was utilized to introduce a hydroxyl group at the start of the polymer chain. Lactone termination was used to functionalize the chain ends with aldehydes or carboxylic acids. The synthesis of well-defined heterotelechelic polymers was thus accomplished employing the Grubbs’ first generation catalyst as the initiator. The living nature of this polymerization allowed for precise control over the molecular weight and guaranteed full functionalization of both polymer chain ends. The presence of the functional groups is sh…
Controlled and Living Polymerizations. From Mechanisms to Applications. Edited by Axel H. E. Müller and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski.
Polymere Janus-Partikel
Automated Large-Scale Synthesis of Supramolecular Oligo(p-benzamide) Block Copolymers
A fully automated large-scale synthesis procedure has been developed that allows the preparation of supramolecular rod−coil copolymers on a 100 g scale. The new reaction cycle allows the stepwise growth of oligo(p-benzamide)s onto the chain end of amine-terminated polymers. Amine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, Mn = 5000 g mol-1) and poly(styrene) (PS, Mn = 2950 g mol-1) were prepared, and an octa(p-benzamide) oligomer block was grown from the chain end in an automated computer-controlled reaction cycle. Plotting the apparent molecular weight of the PEG copolymer against the number of reaction cycles revealed a linear relationship, which emphasized the high level of control this meth…
Highlights from the 42nd EUCHEM Conference on Stereochemistry, Bürgenstock, Switzerland, April 2007.
Ab-initio crystal structure analysis and refinement approaches of oligo p-benzamides based on electron diffraction data.
Ab-initio crystal structure analysis of organic materials from electron diffraction data is presented. The data were collected using the automated electron diffraction tomography (ADT) technique. The structure solution and refinement route is first validated on the basis of the known crystal structure of tri-p-benzamide. The same procedure is then applied to solve the previously unknown crystal structure of tetra-p-benzamide. In the crystal structure of tetra-p-benzamide, an unusual hydrogen-bonding scheme is realised; the hydrogen-bonding scheme is, however, in perfect agreement with solid-state NMR data.
Ionic Liquids on Demand in Continuous Flow
We report on the development of an alternative protocol for the facile, solvent-free synthesis of various novel imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) that affords highly pure products without the necessity of subsequent purification steps. The continuous approach is based on the combination of HPLC pumps with a micromixer and a capillary residence tube. Our system provides a high degree of control over the alkylation reactions due to a high surface-to-volume ratio and superior heat and mass transport. Within the scope of our studies, we focused on ionic liquids containing differently substituted phenyl rings and characterized these compounds with respect to further use for direct applicatio…
Controlled and Living Polymerizations. From Mechanisms to Applications. Herausgegeben von Axel H. E. Müller und Krzysztof Matyjaszewski.
Linear Organo-Soluble Poly(p-benzamide)
Organo-soluble, shape-persistent oligo- and poly(p-benzamide)s were synthesized and characterized. A triethylene glycol (TEG) substituent was introduced to the p-aminobenzoic acid monomer structure as a solubilizing side chain giving 4-amino-2-triethylene glycol benzoic acid. This new monomer was polymerized by the facile polycondensation of the corresponding acid halide derivative of the amine hydrochloric salt. Additionally, a well-defined heptamer was prepared from this monomer on a peptide synthesizer as a model compound. The TEG-substituted oligomers and polymers exhibited good solubility yet high aggregation tendency in common polar and nonpolar organic solvents. The solution self-org…
Learning from nature: beta-sheet-mimicking copolymers get organized.
The solution structures formed by coil-coil copolymers arise from the selective solvation of one of the two blocks and have been well described. In most cases in such relatively simple synthetic structures there are no specific attractive forces that can aid the aggregation process. Nature, however, provides plenty of inspiring polymeric architectures that are shaped and ordered hierarchically by noncovalent forces. The high level of structural definition displayed by proteins, for example, is unmatched by synthetic polymers. An emerging area of interest in polymer science tries to combine the best of both worlds, the natural and the synthetic, by conjugating synthetic polymers and beta-she…
ChemInform Abstract: Polymeric Janus Particles
Since de Gennes' Nobel lecture in 1991, in which he coined the term "Janus grains", research into asymmetric particles has boomed. Macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic particles have been prepared in which certain parts of their surface differ in chemical composition, polarity, color, or any other property. Spherical, cylindrical, disc-like, snowman-, hamburger-, and raspberry-like structures have been synthesized from organic or inorganic materials or even as hybrids of both. Synthetic strategies towards such particles vary greatly from simple polymer mixtures to the bulk self-assembly of sophisticated terpolymers to immobilization methods of symmetric particles. Polymeric Janus particl…
Der Natur abgeschaut: β-Faltblatt-Oligopeptide und Analoga organisieren Blockcopolymere
Die Strukturen von Knauel-Knauel-Diblockcopolymeren in Losung lassen sich durch die selektive Solvatation einzelner Blocke erklaren und sind mittlerweile gut untersucht. In den meisten Fallen verfugen diese relativ einfach aufgebauten Blockcopolymere uber keinerlei spezifische attraktive Wechselwirkungen, die einen Aggregationsprozess unterstutzen konnten. Demgegenuber sind in der Natur unzahlige Beispiele definierter polymerer Architekturen zu finden, die hierarchisch uber nichtkovalente Wechselwirkungen aufgebaut sind. Hoch definierte Strukturen, wie sie etwa die Proteine bilden, sind fur synthetische Polymere bislang unbekannt. Ein relativ junges Forschungsgebiet der Polymerchemie widmet…
Polymeric janus particles.
Since de Gennes' Nobel lecture in 1991, in which he coined the term "Janus grains", research into asymmetric particles has boomed. Macroscopic, microscopic and nanoscopic particles have been prepared in which certain parts of their surface differ in chemical composition, polarity, color, or any other property. Spherical, cylindrical, disc-like, snowman-, hamburger-, and raspberry-like structures have been synthesized from organic or inorganic materials or even as hybrids of both. Synthetic strategies towards such particles vary greatly from simple polymer mixtures to the bulk self-assembly of sophisticated terpolymers to immobilization methods of symmetric particles. Polymeric Janus particl…
An All-ROMP Route to Graft Copolymers
A new versatile synthesis strategy for macromonomers has been developed that uses the living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with commercial Grubbs first generation ruthenium initiators. Homopolymers as well as diblock copolymers were end-functionalized with norbornene derivatives to serve as macromonomers. The graft copolymerization of the macromonomers was also carried out employing ROMP. Well-defined and highly functional graft copolymers are accessible by this new synthetic route.
A “click” approach to ROMP block copolymers
Amphiphilic block copolymers can be conveniently prepared via convergent syntheses, allowing each individual polymer block to be prepared via the polymerization technique that gives the best architectural control. The convergent “click-chemistry” route presented here, gives access to amphiphilic diblock copolymers prepared from a ring opening metathesis polymer and polyethylene glycol. Because of the high functional group tolerance of ruthenium carbene initiators, highly functional ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymer blocks can be prepared. The described synthetic route allows the conjugation of these polymer blocks with other end-functional polymers to give well-defined a…
Polyethylenimine is a strong inhibitor of human papillomavirus and cytomegalovirus infection.
ABSTRACT Polyethylenimines are cationic polymers with potential as delivery vectors in gene therapy and with proven antimicrobial activity. However, the antiviral activity of polyethylenimines has not been addressed in detail thus far. We have studied the inhibitory effects of a linear 25-kDa polyethylenimine on infections with human papillomaviruses and human cytomegaloviruses. Preincubation of cells with polyethylenimine blocked primary attachment of both viruses to cells, resulting in a significant reduction of infection. In addition, the dissemination of human cytomegalovirus in culture cells was efficiently reduced by recurrent administration of polyethylenimine. Polyethylenimine conce…
H-bonding schemes of di- and tri-p-benzamides assessed by a combination of electron diffraction, X-ray powder diffraction and solid-state NMR
The crystal structures of di- and tri-p-benzamides are solved by a combination of single crystal, electron and powder X-ray diffraction. Different hydrogen-bonding schemes observed in the two structures are described and classified. The hydrogen-bonding networks are correlated to complementary data obtained from multinuclear solid-state NMR.
Soluble oligoaramide precursors--a novel class of building blocks for rod-coil architectures.
A new synthetic route is described that allows the reversible conversion of the inherently insoluble oligo-p-benzamides into soluble materials through the formation of imidoyl chlorides. Syntheses of the corresponding dimer, trimer, and tetramer are reported; these compounds can easily be purified by crystallization and are accessible on the multigram scale. Structural proof was obtained by single-crystal X-ray structures of the trimer and tetramer precursors. They can be selectively functionalized into amides or esters at the terminal carboxylic acid group followed by hydrolysis of the imidoyl chlorides to the parent amides. This new class of compounds gives access to strongly aggregating …
One-Pot Synthesis and AFM Imaging of a Triangular Aramide Macrocycle
Macrocyclizations in exceptionally good yields were observed during the self-condensation of N-benzylated phenyl p-aminobenzoates in the presence of LiHMDS to yield three-membered cyclic aramides that adopt a triangular shape. An ortho-alkyloxy side chain on the N-benzyl protecting group is necessary for the macrocyclization to occur. Linear polymers are formed exclusively in the absence of this Li-chelating group. A model that explains the lack of formation of other cyclic congeners and the demand for an N-(o-alkoxybenzyl) protecting group is providedon the basis of DFT calculations.High-resolution AFM imaging of the prepared molecular triangles on a calcite(10.4) surface shows individual …
Controlling Molecular Self-Assembly on an Insulating Surface by Rationally Designing an Efficient Anchor Functionality That Maintains Structural Flexibility
Molecular self-assembly on surfaces is dictated by the delicate balance between intermolecular and molecule-surface interactions. For many insulating surfaces, however, the molecule-surface interactions are weak and rather unspecific. Enhancing these interactions, on the other hand, often puts a severe limit on the achievable structural variety. To grasp the full potential of molecular self-assembly on these application-relevant substrates, therefore, requires strategies for anchoring the molecular building blocks toward the surface in a way that maintains flexibility in terms of intermolecular interaction and relative molecule orientation. Here, we report the design of a site-specific anch…
Monofunktionalisierte Metathesepolymere durch Abbau von Diblockcopolymeren
Asymmetric Micellization of Oragnometallic Polyether Block Copolymers
A Facile Two-Step Route to Branched Polyisoprenes via ABn-Macromonomers
A facile two-step synthesis for branched poly(isoprene)s (PI) based on polyaddition of AB n -type macromonomers is described. The synthesis of the macromonomers was achieved by anionic polymerization of isoprene and subsequent end-capping of the polymers by addition of chlorodimethylsilane to the living carbanions. This led to PI-based macromonomers with narrow polydispersity (M w /M n < 1.15) and molecular weights in the range of 1700 -22100 g mol -1 . Synthesis of the branched polymers was carried out by a hydrosilylation-based polymerization of the macromonomers. Characterization via SEC, SEC-MALLS, coupled SEC-viscosimetry and 1 H-NMR-spectroscopy supported the formation of branched str…
An Improved Rapid Synthesis of Oligo(p -benzamide) Block Copolymers
We describe a new synthesis that allows the preparation of oligo(p-benzamide)s up to the heptamer on solid support without the need of semi-temporary amide N-protective groups. With increase in length, the solubility of oligo(p-benzamide)s reduces dramatically. Even the tetra(p-benzamide) is not soluble in common organic solvents. Therefore, solution syntheses of oligomers beyond the tetramer are not feasible. As will be shown in this paper, solid supported synthesis allows the preparation of even longer oligomers (up to the heptamer) in good yields. The high dilution on the solid support is most likely responsible for their pseudo-solution-like reactivity and the prevention of aggregation.…
Systematic investigation of functional core variation within hyperbranched polyglycerols
A novel series of hyperbranched polyether polyols with various n-alkyl amine cores (mono- and bifunctional) and photoactive cores (benzylamine and 1-naphthylmethylamine) have been prepared. Polymerization of glycidol was carried out in two ways, starting directly from primary amine initiators and from bisglycidolized amine initiators. NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) showed good control over the molecular weights only, when bisglycidolized amines were used. Molecular weights and polydispersity of the hyperbranched polyglycerols prepared with these initiator-cores were in the range of 1600 to 8400 g/mol and of 1.5 to 2.5, respectively. MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry conf…
Functional end groups for polymers prepared using ring-opening metathesis polymerization.
The precise placement of functional groups on the chain-ends of macromolecules is a major focus of polymer research. Most common living polymerization techniques offer specific methods of end-functionalization governed by the active propagating species and the kinetics of the polymerization reaction. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization has established itself as one of the most functional-group-tolerant living polymerization techniques known, but this tolerance has limited the number of available functionalization reactions. Metathesis chemists have therefore been required to develop a variety of end-functionalizations, adapting each of them to the reactivity scheme of the particular cata…
Janus Micelles Induced by Olefin Metathesis
A facile one-step procedure for hydrophobic modification and simultaneous TEM contrast enhancement via a regioselective olefin metathesis reaction using Grubbs' catalyst is presented. Polyether diblock copolymers were investigated, and both the chain ends of the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic block were hydrophobically modified. Modification of the hydrophilic block results in nonsymmetric supramolecular structures (Janus micelles) which self-assemble into larger hierarchically organized super-micelles.
Hockey-Puck micelles from oligo(p-benzamide)-b-PEG rod-coil block copolymers.
Polymerizable Well-Defined Oligo(thiophene amide)s and their ROMP Block Copolymers
We report the synthesis of conjugated thiophene amide oligomers that constitute a new class of chromophores with potential for optoelectronic applications. The synthesis of defined norbornene-substituted oligothiophene amides using conventional coupling chemistry is described. Their electronic properties depend on the degree of oligomerization as UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrate. A significant red shift in the spectra upon an increase in the oligomer length evidences conjugation of the thiophene rings via the amide linkages. ROMP of the norbornene-substituted oligomers gives homopolymers and block-copolymers with a solubilizing second block. The amphiphilic character of the …
Long-chain branched ROMP polymers
This article describes the construction of branched ROMP-polymer architectures via polycondensation of ABn-type macromonomers. For this convergent strategy, a polymer was synthesized that carries several hydroxyl-groups along the polymer chain and one carboxylic acid group at the chain end. An esterification reaction between these functional groups yielded long-chain branched polymers. The polymers were analyzed by NMR and SEC to monitor the condensation reaction. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2009
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 6/2007
Makromolekulare Chemie 2005
Der Trend geht zu masgeschneiderten Polymerarchitekturen und -morphologien sowie selbstorganisierten supramolekularen Strukturen. Dabei ist die Polymerchemie stark interdisziplinar: Von der Renaissance klassisch „organischer” Synthesekonzepte spannt sich der Bogen bis zu Nanoteilchen fur biomedizinische Anwendungen – Grundlagenforschung und Anwendung treffen sich in der makromolekularen Chemie.
ChemInform Abstract: Learning from Nature: β-Sheet-Mimicking Copolymers Get Organized
Hockeypuck-Micellen aus Oligo(p-benzamid)-b-PEG-Stab-Knäuel-Blockcopolymeren
Rod-Length Dependent Aggregation in a Series of Oligo(p-benzamide)-Block-Poly(ethylene glycol) Rod-Coil Copolymers
The synthesis of a series of rod-coil diblock copolymers with flexible poly(ethylene oxide) chains (M n = 5 000 g mol -1 ) and rod blocks consisting of monodisperse oligo(p-benzamide)s is described. The formation of defined supramolecular aggregates in solution as well as the solid state has been analyzed. The length of the oligo(p-benzamide)s has been systematically varied from n = 1 to 7 units. The influence of n on aggregation in chloroform and aqueous solution was investigated by GPC as well as UV-vis spectroscopy. A critical aggregation length was found for chloroform (n = 5) and water (n = 4), below which no aggregation is observed under otherwise identical experimental conditions. Ag…