Terminal functional glycopolymers via a combination of catalytic chain transfer polymerisation (CCTP) followed by three consecutive click reactions

The combination of catalytic chain transfer polymerisation (CCTP) with both thiol-ene and copper catalysed alkyne azide coupling (CuAAC) click chemistry has been employed to give a new route to functional glycopolymers for applications in bioconjugation and biological targeting. Ring opening of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) with sodium azide and subsequent reaction with alkyne functional carbohydrates, as prepared by Fischer glycosylation, has been exploited. This combination of a range of efficient chemistry gives a route to multi gram quantities of glycopolymers avoiding the need for living radical polymerisation chemistry. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry