Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Synthesis Of Dmap Tethered Polymer Chains For Reversible Micelle Formation, Richard Arthur Fredricks

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) can act to catalyze numerous organic reactions. To increase its recovery and reuse, it has been tethered to dendrimers and to micellar systems, creating nano-scale catalytic pockets for reactions to proceed. Previously developed systems show diminished reactivity over time as the products of the reaction fill up the nano-scale reactor. Thus, the goal of my research is to use RAFT polymerization methods to synthesize a hydrophobic polymer chain bearing 4-methylaminopyridine units and to attach it to a hydrophilic polymer chain to create a polymer system capable of micelle formation in solution. These functionalized micelles are designed to be …