Synthesis of Supramolecular A₈B_n Miktoarm Star Copolymers by Host‐Guest Complexation

Abstract

We report a new synthetic method to construct supramolecular A8Bn (n=1, 2, 4) miktoarm star copolymers by host‐guest complexation between a resorcinarene‐based coordination capsule possessing eight polystyrene chains and 4,4‐diacetoxybiphenyl guest molecules that retain one, two or four polymethyl acrylate chains. The formation of the supramolecular A8Bn (n=1, 2, 4) miktoarm star copolymers was confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), and diffusion‐ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements revealed that the miktoarm copolymers were phase‐separated in the bulk. The micro‐Brownian motion of the A8B4 structure was markedly enhanced in the bulk due to a weak segregation interaction between the immiscible arms.