One‐Pot Procedure for the Preparation of Rod‐Coil Block Copolymers via a Bifunctional Initiator

Abstract

AbstractThe synthesis of well‐defined polypeptide‐polyvinyl rod coil block copolymers via the combination of Nickel‐mediated ring opening polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is described. The strategy for the synthesis is based on a bifunctional initiator. In the first step the poly‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate (PBLG) block is prepared which is subsequently used as a macroinitiator for the ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA). These two reaction steps are performed either consecutively by isolation of the PBLG‐macroinitiator or in a one‐pot procedure without isolation of the PBLG‐macroinitiator. By the one‐pot approach the tedious isolation and purification of the macroinitiator is avoided. Reasonable PMMA‐block lengths and low polydispersities indicate a successful synthesis of PBLG‐PMMA block copolymers also via the one‐pot procedure.