A series of helical rigid-rod (R)- and (S)-polycarbodiimides having PEG2K,10K, and 20K groups attached to aromatic or aliphatic side chains have been successfully synthesized from their respective alkyne polycarbodiimide precursors using CuI-catalyzed azide/alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). AFM, TEM and SEM studies revealed the formation of different types of aggregated morphologies, i.e., micro- and nanospheres, fiber-like crystallites, lamellar structures, and spheroids. In general, heavily PEGylated scaffolds comprised of ~ 44 ethylene oxide segments are prone to form round shaped secondary structures, especially, in the bulk as evident by SEM measurements. AFM data suggested that spherical aggregates are preferred motifs in a wide range of concentrations. Overall, these self-assembly studies on polycarbodiimides with a hydrophobic rigid rod main chain and flexible hydrophilic periphery are of interest to provide a basic layout for prospective biomedical applications such as drug delivery.

Secondary structures of PEG-functionalized rod-coil block copolymers based on (R)- and (S)-triazolepolycarbodiimides

254th National Meeting (2017)

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