Enzymatically synthesized polyesters with pendent OH groups as macroinitiators for the preparation of well-defined graft copolymers by atom transfer radical polymerization

摘要

A family of polyesters, poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA), poly(sorbitol adipate) and PGA-graft-poly(e-caprolactone), bearing OH groups on their backbones were synthesized by enzymatic polycondensation. They were successfully converted into macroinitiators for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) by esterification with α-bromoisobutyryl bromide. As a proof of concept, glycerol monomethacrylate was polymerized by ATRP from a PGA backbone yielding the amphiphilic graft copolymer PGA-graft-poIy(gIycerol monomethacrylate). Its self-assembly in aqueous solution was studied using dynamic light scattering.