Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Double-Hydrophilic and Amphiphilic Block Glycopolymers

• Published in: Biomacromolecules Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 1325 - 1333
• Main Authors: Adharis, Azis, Ketelaar, Thomas, Komarudin, Amalina G, Loos, Katja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 11.03.2019
• Subjects: Chromatography, Gel; Glucose - chemistry; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Molecular Weight; Polymerization; Polymers - chemistry; Spectrum Analysis - methods
• ISSN: 1525-7797; 1526-4602
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01713

In this report, we present double-hydrophilic block glycopolymers of poly­(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-b-poly­(2-(β-glucosyloxy)­ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA-b-PGEMA) and amphiphilic block glycopolymers of poly­(ethyl methacrylate)-b-PGEMA (PEMA-b-PGEMA) synthesized via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The block glycopolymers were prepared in two compositions of P­(H)­EMA macro-chain transfer agents (CTAs) and similar molecular weights of PGEMA. Structural analysis of the resulting polymers as well as the conversion of (H)­EMA and GEMA monomers were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography measurements confirmed both P­(H)­EMA macro-CTAs and block glycopolymers had a low dispersity ( Đ ≤ 1.5). The synthesized block glycopolymers had a degree of polymerization and a molecular weight up to 222 and 45.3 kg mol–1, respectively. Both block glycopolymers self-assembled into micellar structures in aqueous solutions as characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering experiments.