Described herein is the efficient synthesis and evaluation of bioactive arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) functionalized polynorbornene-based materials for cell adhesion and spreading. Polynorbornenes containing either linear or cyclic RGD peptides were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using the well-defined ruthenium initiator [(H(2)IMes)(pyr)(2)(Cl)(2)Ru═CHPh]. ...

A novel dithiocarbamate chain transfer agent (CTA1) with a directly polymerizable Z-group was synthesized for use in reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). This CTA effectively mediated RAFT polymerization of styrenic and acrylic monomers with dispersities (Đ) < 1.08. Utilizing the polymerizable Z-group on the ω-chain end that is inherited from the RAFT process,...

The Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of second-generation dendronized monomers is described. Using the highly active and fast-initiating third-generation ruthenium complex [(H2IMes)(pyr)2Cl2RuCHPh], moderate to high molecular weight polymers (430-2230 kDa) are efficiently synthesized with low dispersities (Ð = 1.01-1.17). This study highlights the power of the metathesis approach t...

Two different methodologies for the synthesis of monotelechelic poly(oxa)norbornenes prepared by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) are presented. The first method, termed direct end-capping, is carried out by adding an internal cis-olefin terminating agent (TA) to the reaction mixture immediately after the completion of the living ROMP reaction. The second method relies on cr...