Synthesis of Well-defined Poly(tetrahydrofuran)-b-Poly(α-amino acid)s via Cationic Ring-opening Polymerization (ROP) of Tetrahydrofuran and Nucleophilic ROP of N-thiocarboxyanhydrides

• 作者: Peng Zhou Xuan-Geng Dai Jie Kong Jun Ling
• 来源期刊: 高分子科学（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2021,（6）
• 所属期刊栏目: ARTICLES
• 页码范围: 702-708
• 页数: 7页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

The synthesis of block copolymers of poly(tetrahydrofuran)-b-poly(a-amino acid) (PTHF-b-PAA) is challenging since it is difficult to combine the two blocks produced via different/conflicting ring-opening polymerization (ROP) mechanisms.In this contribution,the cationic ROP of THF is catalyzed by rare-earth triflate[RE(OTf)3]and terminated by 2-(t-butyloxycarbonyl-amino) ethanol (BAE).After the deprotection of t-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) group,the chain end of PTHF is quantitatively changed to amino group which thereafter initiates the nucleophilic ROP of α-amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (NTAs).Both polymerizations are well controlled,generating PTHF and PAA segments with designable molecular weights (MWs).PTHF-b-polylysine (PTHF-b-PLys) and PTHF-b-polysarcosine (PTHF-b-PSar) are obtained with MWs between 8.6 and 28.7 kg/mol.The above amphiphilic diblock copolymers form micelles in water.PTHF40-b-PSar32 acts as a surfactant to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.Both segments of PTHF-b-PAA are biocompatible and promising in the biomedical application.