Poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) Featuring a Central Amino Moiety

Abstract

The incorporation of an amino group into a bifunctional initiator for the cationic ring‐opening polymerization (CROP) is achieved in a two‐step reaction. Detailed kinetic studies using 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline demonstrate the initiators’ eligibility for the CROP yielding well‐defined polymers featuring molar masses of about 2000 g mol^–1. Deprotection of the phthalimide moiety subsequent to polymerization enables the introduction of a cyclooctyne group in central position of the polymer which is further exploited in a strain‐promoted alkyne‐azide click reaction (SpAAC) with a Fmoc‐protected azido lysine representing a commonly used binding motif for site specific polymer–protein/peptide conjugation. In‐depth characterization via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) confirms the success of all post polymerization modification steps.