One-pot synthesis of a polyrotaxane via selective threading of a PEI-b-PEG-b-PEI copolymer.

A functional polyrotaxane of a PEI-b-PEG-b-PEI copolymer is synthesized in aqueous solution in a one-pot sequence. To obtain a polyrotaxane with PEG-block-selective inclusion complexes, the solution pH of the polypseudorotaxane is lowered to 4.4 in the presence of 9-anthraldehyde (AN), which triggers the expulsion of the alpha-cyclodextrins (alpha-CDs) from the flank PEI chains. Synthetic strategy of a block-selective polyrotaxane between a PEI-b-PEG-b-PEI copolymer and alpha-cyclodextrins.