POLY 377 - Modern toolbox for macromolecular design

The copper catalyzed 1,3 dipolar "click" cycloaddition of azides and alkynes was used as a complementary tool for functionalizing well-defined polymers prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The bromine chain-ends of either polystyrene, poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) acrylate) or poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) were first transformed into azide end-groups via nucleophilic substitution and subsequently involved in "click" cycloaddition reactions with various functional alkynes. This efficient ATRP/"click" dual synthetic strategy was employed for preparing a wide variety of tailor-made functional materials such as telechelics, polymer-oligopeptide bioconjugates or shell-functionalized polymeric micelles.