Synthesis and self-assembly of amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols modified with palmitoyl chloride.

Haixing Cheng, Siguang Wang, Jintian Yang, Yongfeng Zhou, Deyue Yan

Index: J. Colloid. Interface Sci. 337(1) , 278-84, (2009)

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Abstract

A series of palmitoyl chloride-grafted hyperbranched polyglycerols were synthesized through cationic ring-opening polymerization and end-group modification. The obtained grafted copolymer of HPG-C16 possesses a hydrophilic hyperbranched polyether core and many hydrophobic alkyl arms, which shows interesting self-assembly behavior in THF and water. The results indicate that the copolymers with a relatively high alkyl grafting ratio can form unimolecular micelles in THF and will further assemble into giant vesicles around 1-10 microm in THF/water mixed solvents. However, the HPG-C16 with a low alkyl grafting ratio of 15.6% can directly assemble into vesicles in THF and form micelles in water.