Controlled radical polymerizations in protein nanoreactors : protein-conjugates as green alternatives to conventional catalysts

Conjugation chem. allows the attachment of a fully functional ATRP catalyst to the inside wall of the thermosome (THS) nanoreactor, thus confining ATRP into a nanoscale cavity defined by the nanoreactor. Expts. with a simple model system as well as ligand analogs underline these findings. The THS systems allow a significant redn. in the copper concn. in polymers synthesized by ATRP as compared to conventional ATRP. Moreover, the nanoreactor allows the synthesis of well-defined polymers in aq. soln., because ATRP inside a protein cage enhances the degree of control of ATRP. [on SciFinder(R)]