Macromolecules, Vol.42, No.4, 1362-1369, 2009
Theoretical Study on the Size and the Shape of Linear Dendronized Polymers in Good and Selective Solvents
The conformational properties of linear dendronized polymers made of a backbone and grafted dendrons are studied analytically as a function of the molecular weights of the backbone and the dendrons. Our previous model for dendritic homopolymers with a central core, is extended to include dendritic structures emerging from a linear polymeric chain made of units of different chemical nature. The ways the number of dendrons, their generation, and the functionality of their branching points affect the size and the shape both of the backbone and the dendrons are given in detail. The various effects of the quality of the solvent, capable to be different for the dendrons and the backbone, lead to interesting novel behaviors.