Tailor made side-chain functionalized macromolecules by combination of controlled radical polymerization and click chemistry

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of trimethylsilyl-propargyl methacrylate (TMSPMA) was performed to obtain alkyne containing polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI < 1.3). Homopolymers of TMSPMA as well as random and block copolymers with methyl methacrylate were synthesized and subsequently deprotected. The obtained acetylene-functionalized polymers were further functionalized using the copper(I) catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction to obtain well-defined glycopolymers, grafted copolymers and anthracene-containing polymers (PDI = 1.08–1.28) that were characterized with GPC, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 1H-NMR-spectroscopy.