Aqueous Ring‐Opening Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly (ROPISA) of N‐Carboxyanhydrides

Abstract

Abstract Reported here is the first aqueous ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of N ‐carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) using α‐amino‐poly(ethylene oxide) as a macroinitiator to protect the NCA monomers from hydrolysis through spontaneous in situ self‐assembly (ISA). This ROPISA process affords well‐defined amphiphilic diblock copolymers that simultaneously form original needle‐like nanoparticles.