Allyl end-functionalized poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methylidene malonate 2.1.2) block copolymers:: Synthesis, characterization, and chemical modification

Poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methylidene malonate 2.1.2) block copolymer (PEO-b-PMM 2.1.2) bearing an allyl moiety at the poly(ethylene oxide) chain end was synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) and methylidene malonate 2.1.2 (MM 2.1.2). This allyl functional group was subsequently modified by reaction with thiol-bearing functional groups to generate carboxyl and amino functionalized biodegradable block copolymers. These end-group reactions, performed in good yields both in organic media and in aqueous micellar solutions, lead to functionalized PEO-b-PMM 2.1.2 copolymers which are of interest for cell targeting purposes.