title: Toward an easy access to dendrimer-like poly(ethylene oxide)s.
abstract: Dendrimer-like poly(ethylene oxide)s (PEOs) were synthesized by an iterative divergent approach combining anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide from multi-hydroxylated precursors and branching reactions of PEO chain ends. Partial deprotonation of the hydroxyls (< 30%) and use of dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent proved crucial for a "controlled/living" polymerization of ethylene oxide at room temperature. These sequences of reactions allowed us to prepare a dendrimer-like PEO up to the eighth generation with a molar mass of 900 000 g mol(-1) and 384 external hydroxyl functions. All samples from generation 1 to 8 were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, light scattering, and viscometry. The evolution of the intrinsic viscosity versus the generation number of these dendrimer-like PEO is similar to that of regular dendrimers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie et de Physique de Bordeaux, ENSCPB, 16 Avenue Pey Berland, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Xiao-Shuang
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taton
authors.forename: Elliot L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Chaikof
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gnanou
mesh_terms: D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011092:Polyethylene Glycols