Role of highly branched, high molecular weight polymer structures in directing uniform polymer particle formation during nanoprecipitationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional experimental details, NMR spectra, GPC chromatograms, SEM images of nanodispersions, graphs of nanoprecipitate characterisation. See DOI: 10.1039/c6cc00611f

• Main Authors: Hatton, Fiona L, Chambon, Pierre, Savage, Alison C, Rannard, Steve P
• Format: Journal Article
• Published: 01.03.2016
• ISSN: 1359-7345; 1364-548X
• DOI: 10.1039/c6cc00611f

The new macromolecular architecture, hyperbranched polydendrons, are composed of a broad distribution of molecular weights and architectural variation; however, nanoprecipitation of these materials yields highly uniform, dendron-functional nanoparticles. By isolating different fractions of the diverse samples, the key role of the most highly branched structures in directing nucleation and growth has been explored and determined. The presence of highly branched polymers with >100 conjoined primary chains is shown to induce a novel rapid nucleation and growth mechanism within polymer nanoprecipitation yielding functional, uniform nanoparticles without stabilisers, filtration or rapid mixing techniques.