Structural Homogeneity of Macromolecular Networks by End-to-End Click Chemistry between Discrete Tetrahedral Star Macromolecules

Cross-linking via the end-to-end click chemistry of multiarm star polymers creates polymer networks with minimal inhomogeneities. Although it has been suggested that the mechanical and swelling properties of such networks depend on the absence of defects, the structural details of homogeneous networks created by this method have not yet been studied at the molecular level. Here, we report the synthesis of discrete tetrahedral star macromolecules (dTSMs) composed of polylactide (PLA) arms with discrete molecular weight and sequence. Polymer networks prepared by 4 × 4 cross-linking by Cu-free strain-promoted cyclooctyne-azide click chemistry (SPAAC) reaction exhibited a high degree of swelling (>40 fold by weight) in solvents without sacrificing mechanical robustness (elastic modulus >4 kPa). The structural details of the networks were investigated by network disassembly spectrometry (NDS) using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. By implementing a cleavable repeating unit in the discrete PLA arms of dTSM in a sequence-specific manner, the networks could be disassembled into fragments having discrete molecular weights precisely representing their connectivity in the network. This NDS analysis confirmed that end-to-end click reactions of dTSM networks resulted in the formation of a homogeneous network above the critical concentration (∼10 w/v%) of building blocks in the solution.