Co-initiated hyperbranched-polydendron building blocks for the direct nanoprecipitation of dendron-directed patchy particles with heterogeneous surface functionality

Abstract

A synthetic strategy for generating branched polymer building blocks for the rapid construction of patchy nanoparticles is presented. Hyperbranched polydendrons containing a controlled mixture of PEG and thiol-functional chain ends, with different dendron generation (G₀ and G₃), were synthesised and nanoprecipitated (50–70 nm). The patchy isolation of thiol groups was confirmed through the binding of 4 nm gold particles and the quantification of clustering at the nanoprecipitate surface.