Synthesis of New Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Derivatives

The chapters of this book describe the synthesis and use of a variety of active PEG derivatives designed to couple PEG to other materials. Despite the availability of these derivatives, there remains a need for new derivatives with presently unavailable properties and work continues in this area. Desirable properties include selectivity, stability, and ease of preparation. For example, it would be desirable to have derivatives that react with nucleophilic groups on proteins, but which do not react with water. Derivatives of a wide range of reactivities are always in demand. Similarly, there would be advantages to having derivatives that react with groups other than the commonly used amino groups. And, of course, the need for derivatives that can be prepared cheaply and easily in large quantity is critical for commercialization of the many biomedical and biotechnical applications of PEG chemistry.