Precise synthesis of undecenyl poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers as heterofunctional building blocks for the synthesis of linear diblocks or of branched materials

Amphiphilic α-undecenyl-ω-hydroxy heterobifunctional PEOs of precise molar mass and adjustable hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance were successfully synthesized by anionic ring opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The most original part of the work concerns a new unsaturated heterofunctional initiator in powder form. The availability of such an initiator facilitates the processing, the reaction procedure and offers new perspectives in the synthesis of libraries of end-functional PEOs. α-Undecenyl-ω-methacryloyl and α-undecenyl-ω-acetylene heterobifunctional PEO macromonomers could be obtained. They served as building blocks for the synthesis of functional PI-b-PEO diblock copolymers and functional branched architectures.