Multifunctional Poly(ethylene glycol): Synthesis, Characterization, and Potential Applications of Dendritic–Linear–Dendritic Block Copolymer Hybrids

Abstract

Emerging dendritic–linear–dendritic (DLD) hybrids that possess synergetic properties of linear and highly functional branched dendritic polymers are becoming important macromolecular scaffolds in fields ranging from biomedicine to nanotechnology. By exploiting pseudo-one-step polycondensation reactions, a facile and scalable synthetic methodology for the construction of highly functional DLDs has been developed. A library of three sets of DLDs exhibiting a hydrophilic linear PEG core with covalently attached hyperbranched bis-MPA blocks was synthesized up to the seventh generation with 256 reactive peripheral hydroxyl groups. The degree of branching for the hybrids was found between 0.40 and 0.59 with dispersities ranging from 1.03 to 1.88. The introduction of hyperbranched components resulted in control over or even full disruption of the crystallinity of the PEG. Postfunctionalizations of the peripheral hydroxyl groups with azides, allyls, and ATRP initiators yielded reactive intermediates. These intermediates were successfully assessed through UV-initiated thiol–ene coupling reactions for the synthesis of charged hybrids. ATRP of styrene from the pheriphery afforded amphiphilic macromolecules. Finally, their scaffolding capacity was evaluated for the fabrication of 3D networks, i.e., novel dendritic hydrogels and highly ordered breath figures.