title: Iterative Exponential Growth Synthesis and Assembly of Uniform Diblock Copolymers.
abstract: Studies on the phase segregation of unimolecular block copolymers (BCPs) are limited by a lack of reliable, versatile methods for the synthesis of such polymers on the preparative scale. Herein, we describe an advancement of Iterative Exponential Growth (IEG) wherein chiral allyl-based IEG oligomers are subjected to thiol-ene reactions and converted into unimolecular BCPs. With this strategy we have synthesized uniform BCPs with molar masses up to 12.1 kDa on ∼1 g scale. BCPs composed of decane-based side chains and either triethyleneglycol- or thioglycerol-based side chains phase-segregate into hexagonal cylinder morphologies. The assembly is not driven by side-chain crystallization, but is instead the result of amorphous BCP assembly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Yivan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Golder
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Hung V-T
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Mingjiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Deborah J C
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.
authors.forename: Jeremiah A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnson