Controlling molecular weight and polymer architecture during the Passerini three component step-growth polymerization

A new approach to control the molecular weight and polymer architecture using the Passerini three-component step-growth polymerization is described. Starting from an AB-type monomer, linear homopolymers, diblock copolymers, as well as star-shaped polymers were synthesized in an efficient manner. By varying the ratio of the AB-type monomer and a suitable irreversible chain transfer agent (ICTA), different polymer architectures with specific molecular weights and high end-group fidelity were obtained.