Synthesis, characterization, and viscoelastic properties of high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerols

Very high molecular weight (M-n up to 700 000) and narrowly polydispersed (PDI) 1.1-1.4) hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPG) were synthesized by ring-opening multibranching polymerization of glycidol using dioxane as an emulsifying agent. Broader molecular weight distributions with low molecular weight fractions were obtained when diglyme was used as the emulsifying agent. But the low molecular weight fractions could be removed by dialysis. Isolated yields in both the cases were 70-90%. The different result in the case of dioxane may be due to faster cation exchange which leads to low polydispersites. HPGs of various molecular weights were characterized by a GPC system coupled with a multiangle laser light scattering detector and a triple detector array. The intrinsic viscosities were low for these polymers and did not increase with molecular weight. The dimensions of these polymers (R-g, R-h, R-eta) and their dependence on molecular weights are described. The hydrodynamic radii were very small with dimensions similar to those of dendrimers. Our results show that these polymers are very compact and have spherical conformations in water with no indications of aggregate formation. The melt viscoelastic properties were also studied. Despite their self-similar structures, depending on the type of solvent used to synthesize them (diglyme vs dioxane), topologically restricted configurations are produced that result in completely different entanglement dynamics.