Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Theses/Dissertations

Open Access Dissertations

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Materials Science and Engineering

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Oligopeptide-Functionalized Graft Copolymers: Synthesis And Applications In Nucleic Acid Delivery, Rebecca Boudreaux Breitenkamp Feb 2009

Oligopeptide-Functionalized Graft Copolymers: Synthesis And Applications In Nucleic Acid Delivery, Rebecca Boudreaux Breitenkamp

Open Access Dissertations

Utilizing the diverse functionality of amino acids, a new class of amphiphilic graft copolymers has been synthesized, characterized, and explored for applications in biomaterials and nucleic acid delivery. This thesis research focused on the syntheses of oligopeptide-functionalized polyesters and polyolefins. Polyester functionalization was geared towards applications in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and drug delivery by incorporating sequences that promote cell-adhesion. These polyester- graft -oligopeptide materials were prepared by a 1,3-Huisgen cycloaddition reaction, "click" chemistry, of an azide-terminated oligopeptide (prepared by Fmoc-based solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS)) and alkyne-containing polyester (synthesized by ring-opening polymerization). Following the syntheses of these materials, they were …


Synthesis And Interfacial Behavior Of Functional Amphiphilic Graft Copolymers Prepared By Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization, Kurt E. Breitenkamp Feb 2009

Synthesis And Interfacial Behavior Of Functional Amphiphilic Graft Copolymers Prepared By Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization, Kurt E. Breitenkamp

Open Access Dissertations

This thesis describes the synthesis and application of a new series of amphiphilic graft copolymers with a hydrophobic polyolefin backbone and pendent hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafts. These copolymers are synthesized by ruthenium benzylidene-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of PEG-functionalized cyclic olefin macromonomers to afford polycyclooctene- graft -PEG (PCOE- g -PEG) copolymers with a number of tunable features, such as PEG graft density and length, crystallinity, and amphiphilicity. Macromonomers of this type were prepared first by coupling chemistry using commercially available PEG monomethyl ether derivatives and a carboxylic acid-functionalized cycloctene. In a second approach, macromonomers possessing a variety of PEG …