One-pot synthesis of poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymers

By using 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as both the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) ligand and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) catalyst, we have combined copper-catalyzed ATRP and organo-catalyzed ROP in one-pot, and successfully synthesized poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PLA-b-PMMA) diblock copolymers. The structure of the block copolymers is confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).