Well-Defined Protein/Peptide-Polymer Conjugates by Aqueous Cu-LRP: Synthesis and Controlled Self-Assembly.

The synthesis of well-defined protein/peptide-polymer conjugates with interesting self-assembly behavior via single electron transfer living radical polymerization in water is described. A range of protein/peptides with different physical and chemical properties have been modified to macroinitiators and optimized polymerization conditions ensure successful polymerization from soluble, insoluble, and dispersed protein/peptide molecules or protein aggregates. This powerful strategy tolerates a range of functional monomers and mediates efficient homo or block copolymerization to generate hydrophilic polymers with controlled molecular weight (MW) and narrow MW distribution.