Chemoenzymatic synthesis of branched polymers

The combination of enzymatic polymerization with ATRP for the synthesis of branched (block) copolymers was investigated. Heterotelechelic polycaprolactone macroinimer was synthesized in a one-pot enzymatic procedure by using 2-hydroxyethyl -bromoisobutyrate as a bifunctional initiator. A polymerizable end group was introduced by subsequent in situ enzymatic acrylation with vinyl acrylate. Branched polymers were obtained by subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)