Recent development of brush polymers via polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol)-based macromonomers

Abstract

Polymerization of macromonomers is a facile and versatile synthetic method to generate well-defined brush polymers. There have been numerous efforts aimed at the synthesis and applications of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based macromonomers in recent decades owing to the good biocompatibility and water-solubility of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved PEG. Here we summarize some efforts and divide them into four categories (free radical polymerization, ring-opening polymerization, Suzuki coupling, and other polymerizations) according to the polymerization type of the macromonomers. Through this review, we expect to provide an understanding of brush polymers via polymerization of PEG-based macromonomers. A brief discussion of current achievements and future development in this area is provided as well.