Synthesis of high-molar mass arborescent-branched polyglycidol via sequential grafting

Communication: A multiple grafting technique was used to synthesize arbores cent-branched high-molecular mass poly(2,3-epoxypropan-1-ol). In the first step, linear polyglycidol ((M) over bar (n) = 10300) was obtained. Some of the hydroxyl groups were transformed into alcoholate anions in a reaction w ith potassium tert-butoxide, and the obtained polyanion was used to initiat e the polymerization of 1-ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether, the glycidol having a protected hydroxyl group. Removing the protecting groups yielded polyglyci dol-graft-polyglycidol. This procedure was repeated twice to give three gen erations of comb-burst branched polyglycidol chains with (M) over bar (n) o f 8.2 x 10(4), 7.4 x 10(5) and 1.8 x 10(6).