Issue 34, 2017

Exploring structural effects in single-chain “folding” mediated by intramolecular thermal Diels–Alder chemistry

Abstract

We describe a method to fold single polymer chains into nanoparticles using simple thermal Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry. Two different folding strategies are explored, one employing “chain-internal folding” and the other using external, multi-functional cross-linkers. In the first strategy, random terpolymers were designed with varying incorporations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) and a maleimide functionalized methacrylate (MIMA) to achieve internal folding through a thermal DA reaction between pendent furan and maleimide groups. In the second method, the synthesis of random copolymers of MMA and FMA forms nanoparticles after effecting a thermal DA reaction between pendent furan groups and external bi- or tri-maleimide functionalized cross-linkers. This multifaceted approach compares different synthetic designs of linear polymers as well as multiple cross-linker species as a means to explore the effect these synthetic differences have on the resulting SCNP. The two polymer series designed in this study allow for a direct comparison between chain internal cross-linking of multiple internal pendent groups and external cross-linker mediated collapse.

Graphical abstract: Exploring structural effects in single-chain “folding” mediated by intramolecular thermal Diels–Alder chemistry

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Feb 2017
Accepted
27 Mar 2017
First published
27 Mar 2017

Polym. Chem., 2017,8, 5120-5128

Exploring structural effects in single-chain “folding” mediated by intramolecular thermal Diels–Alder chemistry

A. M. Hanlon, I. Martin, E. R. Bright, J. Chouinard, K. J. Rodriguez, G. E. Patenotte and E. B. Berda, Polym. Chem., 2017, 8, 5120 DOI: 10.1039/C7PY00320J

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