Synthesis and photophysical characterization of amphiphilic linear-dendritic block copolymers

The linear-dendritic block copolymers with hydrophilic PEO and hydrophobic dendritic carbosilanes were synthesized via a divergent growth at allyl end group of allyl-PEO. The amphiphilic nature of the PEO-dendritic carbosilane block copolymers provides an opportunity to form micelles in an aqueous phase, in which hydrophobic dendritic moieties are incroporated into the micellar core. The block copolymers with the first and second generation of dendritic carbosilane blocks form micelles in water with cmcs of 82.6 and 2.3 mg/L, respectively. The hydrophobic character of the micellar core was estimated by measuring the partition equilibrium constant of pyrene in the micellar solution.