Hydrophilic and amphiphilic copolymers of 2,3-epoxypropanol-1

Conditions for living or controlled polymerization of glycidol (2,3-epoxypr opanol-1) with hydroxyl group protected via acetalization are described. Ba sed upon these findings hydrophilic di- and triblock copolymers of glycidol and ethylene oxide were synthesized and their swelling behavior after cros slinking investigated. Initiation of the polymerization of protected glycid ol with polystyrene dianion leads to amphiphilic polyglycidol-block-polysty rene-block-polyglycidol which forms micelles in selected solvents. Terminat ion of the living polymerization of protected grycidol with p-chloromethyls tyrene yields a reactive surfactant, which stabilizes water emulsion of sty rene and allows the synthesis of polystyrene microspheres.