Synthesis of novel linear PEO-b-PS-b-PCL triblock copolymers by the combination of ATRP, ROP, and a click reaction

A new strategy to synthesize a series of well-defined amphiphilic PEO-b-PS-b-PCL block copolymers is presented. First, bromine-terminated diblock copolymers PEO-b-PS-Br are prepared by ATRP of styrene, and converted into azido-terminated PEO-b-PS-N-3 diblock copolymers. Then propargyl-terminated PCL is prepared by ROP of epsilon-carprolactone. The PEO-b-PS-b-PCL triblock coploymers with (M) over bar (n) from 1.62 x 10(4) to 1.96 x 10(4) narrow PDI from 1.09 to 1.19 are finally synthesized from these precursors. The structures of these triblock copolymers and their precursors have been characterized by NMR, IR, and GPC analysis.