Facile one-pot/one-step synthesis of heterotelechelic N-acylated poly(aminoester) macromonomers for carboxylic acid decorated comb polymers

Abstract

Optimised monomer feed ratios in the spontaneous zwitterionic copolymerisation (SZWIP) of 2-oxazolines and acrylic acid enable the one-step synthesis of heterotelechelic α-acrylate, ω-carboxylic acid N-acylated poly(aminoester) macromonomers. Subsequent redox-initiated RAFT polymerisation at ambient temperature leads to comb polymers containing quantitative terminal side chain carboxylic acids, which allow efficient ‘grafting-onto’ using conventional peptide coupling strategies.