Synthesis and properties of a well-defined glycopolymer via living radical polymerization

A well-defined glycopolymer was synthesized to investigate its properties. The glycopolymer was obtained with a narrow polydispersity by nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of styrene carrying acetylated lactose and by the subsequent deprotection. The cylindrical structure and helical conformation of the polymer were measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The affinities of the polymers towards lectins depended on the degree of polymerization (DP), and the polymers with higher DP showed stronger affinity. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.