New polymer architectures by cationic ring-opening polymerization

The use of the living cationic ring-opening polymerization of tetrahydrofur an (THF) and 2-alkyl oxazolines to prepare a number of new well defined pol ymer architectures is illustrated by three examples. Endgroup functionalize d star-shaped polyTHF's were obtained by functional initiation in combinati on with end-capping with a mulifunctional termination reagent. In this way, star-shaped and comb-shaped polyTHF multi-macromonomers were prepared. A-B-A block-copolymers in which B is polyTHF and A poly(ethylene oxide) (PE O) or linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) were prepared. The influence of comple xation of the A segments with NaSCN (specific for PEG) or with CuCl2 (speci fic for LPEI) on the physical properties of these copolymers have been inve stigated. Amphiphilic segmented polymer networks were prepared by co-polymerization o f polyTHF-alpha,omega-bis acrylate with N-vinylcaprolactam.