Abstract
Macromolecular stars containing reversible boronic ester linkages were prepared by an arm-first approach by reacting well-defined boronic acid-containing block copolymers with multifunctional 1,2/1,3-diols. Homopolymers of 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (APBA) formed macroscopic dynamic-covalent networks when cross-linked with multifunctional diols. On the other hand, adding the diol cross-linkers to block copolymers of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide (PDMA))-b-poly(APBA) led to nanosized multiarm stars with boronic ester cores and PDMA coronas. The assembly of the stars under a variety of conditions was considered. The dynamic-covalent nature of the boronic ester cross-links allowed the stars to reconfigure their covalent structure in the presence of monofunctional diols that competed for bonding with the boronic acid component. Therefore, the stars could be induced to dissociate via competitive exchange reactions. The star formation-dissociation process was shown to be repeatable over multiple cycles.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.