Selectively degradable core cross-linked star polymers

Abstract

A range of selectively degradable core cross-linked star (CCS) polymers were synthesized via a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) using the "arm first" method. The multifunctional initiator 2-hydroxyethyl 2′-methyl-2′- bromopropionate was used to synthesize degradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and nondegradable polystyrene (PSt) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) macroinitiators which were subsequently cross-linked to generate CCS polymers. By using nondegradable (divinylbenzene (DVB), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA)) and degradable (4,4′-bioxepanyl-7,7′-dione (BOD), 2,2-bis(e-caprolactone-4-yl)propane (BCP)) monomers to..