6533b7d3fe1ef96bd12608af

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Poly(isoglycerol methacrylate)-b-poly(d or l-lactide) Copolymers: A Novel Hydrophilic Methacrylate as Building Block for Supramolecular Aggregates

subject

description

On the basis of a new acetal-protected glycerol monomethacrylate monomer (cis-1,3-benzylidene glycerol methacrylate/BGMA) a series of potentially biocompatible and partially biodegradable homo- and block copolymers were synthesized. ATRP polymerization of BGMA yielded well-defined polyacrylates with pendant benzylidene acetal groups and high glass transition temperatures (115−130 °C). This hydrophobic poly(cis-1,3-benzylidene glycerol methacrylate) could be readily transformed into the hydrophilic and water-soluble poly(1,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate), referred to as poly(isoglycerol methacrylate) (PIGMA). It exclusively contains primary hydroxyl groups and therefore differs significantly from the commonly known poly(glycerol methacrylate) (PGMA). Block copolymer systems based on poly(lactide) and BGMA were realized via two orthogonal living polymerization techniques starting from a bifunctional initiator, employing first atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of BGMA and in the second step organo-...