Degradable, Dendritic Polyols on a Branched Polyphosphazene Backbone

Ind Eng Chem Res. 2018 Mar 14;57(10):3602-3609. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.7b05301. Epub 2018 Feb 23.

Abstract

Herein, we present the design, synthesis, and characterization of fully degradable, hybrid, star-branched dendritic polyols. First multiarmed polyphosphazenes were prepared as a star-branched scaffold which upon functionalization produced globular branched hydroxyl-functionalized polymers with over 1700 peripheral functional end groups. These polyols with unique branched architectures could be prepared with controlled molecular weights and relatively narrow dispersities. Furthermore, the polymers are shown to undergo hydrolytic degradation to low molecular weight degradation products, the rate of which could be controlled through postpolymerization functionalization of the phosphazene backbone.