Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methylidene malonate 2.1.2) block copolymers bearing a mannose group at the PEO chain end

Abstract

A poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methylidene malonate 2.1.2) block copolymer (PEO-b-PMM 2.1.2) bearing a mannose moiety at the poly(ethylene oxide) chain end was synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) and methylidene malonate 2.1.2 (MM 2.1.2), followed by a coupling reaction between its poly(ethylene oxide) amino- or aldehyde-end group and a sugar derivative. Different coupling procedures, either in organic media or in aqueous micellar solutions, were examined in order to optimize the poly(ethylene oxide) end-glycosylation yield. The micellar size of the functionalized block copolymers was determined by dynamic light scattering.