Monodisperse Macromolecules by Self-Interrupted Living Polymerization
Marian N. Holerca, Mihai Peterca, Benjamin E. Partridge, Qi Xiao, Gerard Lligadas, Michael J. Monteiro, Virgil Percec
Abstract
Biological macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids are monodisperse just as low-molar-mass organic compounds are. However, synthetic macromolecules contain mixtures of different chain lengths, the most uniform being generated by living polymerizations, which exhibit a maximum of 1-3% of chains with the desired length. Monodisperse natural and synthetic oligomers can be obtained in low quantities by tedious, multistep iterative methods. Here we report a methodology to synthesize monodisperse synthetic macromolecules by self-interrupted living polymerization. This methodology relies on a concept that combines supramolecular and macromolecular chemistry and differs from the conventional reactivity principles employed in the synthesis of polymers for over 100 years.