Designing Loop and Branch Polymer Topology with Cationic Star Telechelics through Effective Selection of Mono-and Difunctional Counteranions

ABSTRACT: An "electrostatic self-assembly and covalent fixation" process has been applied with linear and three-armed star telechelic polymer precursors carrying a mixture of mono-and dicarboxylate counteranions. It has been shown that a unimeric polymer assembly is formed exclusively with the linear polymer precursor under appropriate dilution through the effective discrimination of mono-and dicarboxylate counteranions with balancing the charges between cations and anions. Subsequently, a selective synthesis of tadpole polymers has been achieved with the three-armed star telechelic precursor carrying a pair of a mono-and a dicarboxylate counteranion. Moreover, functional tadpole polymers possessing a hydroxy group at the precisely designated position have been prepared by the use of hydroxycontaining mono-and dicarboxylate counteranions