Synthesis of branch‐ring‐branch tadpole‐shaped [linear‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)]‐b‐[cyclic‐poly(ethylene oxide)]‐b‐ [linear‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)] by combination of glaser coupling reaction with ring‐opening polymerization

Abstract A novel amphiphilic branch‐ring‐branch tadpole‐shaped [linear‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)]‐ b ‐[cyclic‐poly(ethylene oxide)]‐ b ‐[linear‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)] [( l ‐PCL)‐ b ‐( c ‐PEO)‐ b ‐( l ‐PCL)] was synthesized by combination of glaser coupling reaction with ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) mechanism. The self‐assembling behaviors of ( l ‐PCL)‐ b ‐( c ‐PEO)‐ b ‐( l ‐PCL) and their π‐shaped analogs of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(ethylene oxide)]‐ b ‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐ b ‐[poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(ethylene oxide) with comparable molecular weight in water were preliminarily investigated. The results showed that the micelles formed from the former took a fiber look, however, that formed from the latter took a spherical look. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012