Synthesis and reactivity of self-immolative pDTT-g-pGMA bottlebrush polymer
Marie Uth
, Magnus Hansen-Felby, Jakob Rørbæk Saugbjerg, Andreas Sommerfeldt, Sunirmal Pal, Martin Lahn Henriksen, Steen Uttrup Pedersen, Kim Daasbjerg
, Magnus Hansen-Felby, Jakob Rørbæk Saugbjerg, Andreas Sommerfeldt, Sunirmal Pal, Martin Lahn Henriksen, Steen Uttrup Pedersen, Kim DaasbjergVol. 19., No.12., Pages 1216-1225, 2025
DOI: 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2025.90
DOI: 10.3144/expresspolymlett.2025.90
Corresponding author: Steen Uttrup Pedersen 
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
Post-polymerization modification of self-immolative polymers expands the application spectrum of such macromolecular materials. This work demonstrates grafting of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) brushes from a self-immolative poly(DL-dithiothreitol) backbone using activators regenerated by electron transfer–atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET–ATRP). The polymerization kinetics of the brushes is studied in detail by 1H NMR and size exclusion chromatography, indicating a linear increase in number-average molecular weight. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the self-immolative properties of the backbone are retained in the bottlebrush polymers by examining the degradation process in solution.
