The effect of comb length on the and properties of self-assembled poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate)-based block copolymer nanoparticles.

Comb copolymer analogues of poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene glycol block copolymers (PLA--PEG) offer potential to overcome the inherent chemistry and stability limitations of their linear block copolymer counterparts. Herein, we examine the differences between P(L)LA--PEG and linear-comb copolymer analogues thereof in which the linear PEG block is replaced by poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) blocks with different side chain (comb) lengths but the same overall molecular weight. P(L)LA--POEGMA475 and P(L)LA--POEGMA2000 block copolymers were synthesized activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and fabricated into self-assembled nanoparticles using flash nanoprecipitation confined impinging jet mixing.