Membrane enhanced polymer synthesis
First Claim
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1. A process for the preparation of heterobifunctional or mono-disperse polymers comprising the following steps:
- (a) reacting an excess of an initial polymer dissolved in a solvent with a branch point molecule to form a polymer mixture containing at least the initial polymer and a conjugate comprising at least two polymer molecules covalently bound to the branch point molecule such that each polymer molecule has a terminal which is bound to the branch point molecule and at least one unbound terminal;
(b) contacting the polymer mixture with a semi-permeable membrane which has a rejection for the conjugate which is greater than the rejection for the initial polymer, so that the ratio between the concentrations of the conjugate and the initial polymer in the retentate is increased; and
(c) cleaving the polymer from the branch point molecule of the conjugate;
wherein the at least one unbound terminal of the polymer molecule of the conjugate is chemically modified to either modify the functionality of the unbound terminal of the polymer or add additional monomer or polymer units to the polymer and said modification occurs either prior to or subsequent to step (b) such that the polymer cleaved from branch point molecule comprises the initial polymer comprising at least one chemically modified terminal.
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Abstract
This invention relates to the synthesis of polymers. More specifically, the present invention relates to the synthesis of heterobifunctional polymers and polymers with narrow and mono-disperse molecular weight distributions, and especially to the application of membranes to the synthesis of these polymers.
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19 Claims
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1. A process for the preparation of heterobifunctional or mono-disperse polymers comprising the following steps:
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(a) reacting an excess of an initial polymer dissolved in a solvent with a branch point molecule to form a polymer mixture containing at least the initial polymer and a conjugate comprising at least two polymer molecules covalently bound to the branch point molecule such that each polymer molecule has a terminal which is bound to the branch point molecule and at least one unbound terminal; (b) contacting the polymer mixture with a semi-permeable membrane which has a rejection for the conjugate which is greater than the rejection for the initial polymer, so that the ratio between the concentrations of the conjugate and the initial polymer in the retentate is increased; and (c) cleaving the polymer from the branch point molecule of the conjugate; wherein the at least one unbound terminal of the polymer molecule of the conjugate is chemically modified to either modify the functionality of the unbound terminal of the polymer or add additional monomer or polymer units to the polymer and said modification occurs either prior to or subsequent to step (b) such that the polymer cleaved from branch point molecule comprises the initial polymer comprising at least one chemically modified terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification