Orthogonal polymerization of aziridine with cyclic carbonates for constructing amphiphilic block copolymers

Abstract

Herein, we describe a novel strategy for synthesizing amphiphilic block copolymers, comprising acidified polyamine and polycarbonate segments, by the orthogonal polymerization of aziridine and cyclic carbonates. Controlled experiments revealed that the cationic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of aziridine and the anionic ROP of cyclic carbonates proceeded simultaneously to accomplish chain propagation.