Synthesis, characterization, and thermal properties of dendrimer‐star, block‐comb copolymers by ring‐opening polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization

Abstract Novel and well‐defined dendrimer‐star, block‐comb polymers were successfully achieved by the combination of living ring‐opening polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization on the basis of a dendrimer polyester. Star‐shaped dendrimer poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)s were synthesized by the bulk polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone with a dendrimer initiator and tin 2‐ethylhexanoate as a catalyst. The molecular weights of the dendrimer poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)s increased linearly with an increase in the monomer. The dendrimer poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)s were converted into macroinitiators via esterification with 2‐bromopropionyl bromide. The star‐block copolymer dendrimer poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐ block ‐poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) was obtained by the atom transfer radical polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The molecular weights of these copolymers were adjusted by the variation of the monomer conversion. Then, dendrimer‐star, block‐comb copolymers were prepared with poly( L ‐lactide) blocks grafted from poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) blocks by the ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐lactide. The unique and well‐defined structure of these copolymers presented thermal properties that were different from those of linear poly(ϵ‐caprolactone). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6575–6586, 2006