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Block Copolymers by the Combination of Cationic and Anionic Polymerizations for Biomedical Applications
Author(s) -
Feng Dingsong,
Higashihara Tomoya,
Cheng Guanglou,
Cho Jae Cheol,
Faust Rudolf
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.200651303
Subject(s) - isobutylene , copolymer , cationic polymerization , polymer chemistry , methyl methacrylate , materials science , methacrylate , styrene , tetrahydrofuran , living cationic polymerization , anionic addition polymerization , chemistry , radical polymerization , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , solvent
Polyisobutylene based block copolymers have attracted significant interest for biomedical applications. Poly(styrene‐ b ‐isobutylene‐ b ‐styrene) (SIBS) has been used as a drug (Paclitaxel, PTx) eluting coating for the TAXUS™ stent. By changing the polarity of the end segments modulation of drug release has been achieved. In this paper, two new synthetic routes are reported for the synthesis of polyisobutylene (PIB) based block copolymers containing poly(methyl methacrylates) end blocks by the combination of living cationic and anionic polymerizations. In the first approach the PIB chain‐ends were converted to macroanions that efficiently initiated the polymerization of methacrylates in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at −78 °C to afford poly(isobutylene‐ b ‐methyl methacrylate) (PIB‐ b ‐PMMA). PIB‐ b ‐PMMA could also be synthesized by a coupling reaction between living poly(methacrylate) anion and bromoallyl end‐functional PIB.