Poly(2‐vinyl pyridine)‐block‐Poly(ethylene oxide) Featuring a Furan Group at the Block Junction—Synthesis and Functionalization

Furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) represents a highly versatile monomer for the preparation of reversibly cross-linkable nanostructured materials via Diels–Alder reactions. Here, the use of FGE for the mid-chain functionalization of a P2VP-b-PEO diblock copolymer is reported. The material features one furan moiety at the block junction, P2VP68-FGE-b-PEO390, which can be subsequently addressed in Diels–Alder reactions using maleimide-functionalized counterparts. The presence of the FGE moiety enables the introduction of dyes as model labels or the formation of hetero-grafted brushes as shell on hybrid Au@Polymer nanoparticles. This renders P2VP68-FGE-b-PEO390, a powerful tool for selective functionalization reactions, including the modification of surfaces.