Novel amphiphilic graft copolymers prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol)-substituted cyclooctene macromonomers

A novel poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) substituted cyclooctene macromonomers was synthesized and demonstrated their integration into graft copolymers by ring-opening metathesis polymerization. These copolymers display many tunable features based on extent of macromonomer incorporation, including a wide range of organic and aqueous solubility, crystallinity, and ability to function as macromolecular surfactants. The polymerization of cyclooctene-based macromonomers appears to be a viable method to obtain novel, graft polyethylene copolymers, due to the feasibility of backbone hydrogenation. These PEG-functional polyolefins were said to present many possibilities for the synthesis of novel, biofunctional macromolecules based on polyolefins.