Designing Unusual Polymer Topologies by Electrostatic Self-Assembly and Covalent Fixation

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 122; no. 40; pp. 9592 - 9599
• Main Authors: Oike, Hideaki, Imaizumi, Hiroyuki, Mouri, Takayuki, Yoshioka, Yuka, Uchibori, Akiko, Tezuka, Yasuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 11.10.2000
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja001736z

A novel protocol for designing a variety of topologically unique multicyclic polymer architectures, such as mono-, bi-, and tricyclic polymers as well as topological isomers, has been proposed on the basis of an electrostatic self-assembly of polymer precursors having five-membered cyclic ammonium salt groups accompanying plurifunctional carboxylate counteranions. Upon dilution in an organic medium at a concentration of below a gram per liter, the multiple aggregates of the polymer precursors completely dissociate into a smallest assembly, and cations and anions balance the charge. The subsequent covalent fixation through the ring-opening reaction of cyclic ammonium salt groups by carboxylate counteranions provides an efficient means for a variety of polymer architectures comprising mono- and multicyclic polymer units.