Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based ABC triblock terpolymers – synthetic complexity vs. application benefits

During the last few decades considerable scientific effort has been devoted to the synthesis, self-assembly, and application of ABC triblock terpolymers with various building blocks. Such materials show high potential in the fields of materials science and life sciences. In particular, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a versatile building block and related materials featuring PEO segments are often exploited due to its solubility in a wide range of solvents, its non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and the so called “stealth effect”. This review presents a short summary of possible synthetic routes for the synthesis of PEO-containing triblock terpolymers, as well as different applications in the bulk and in solution – including the preparation of porous materials, hybrid systems, and carriers for controlled drug delivery.