IChO 2019 · Theory problem 6

Characterization of a block-copolymer

Block-copolymers, obtained by linking different polymers (blocks), have unique properties, such as the ability to self-assemble. In this problem, the synthesis and characterization of such macromolecules are studied.

Study of the first block

Figure 1

In this first part, we will study the water soluble homopolymer 1 (α-methoxy-ω-aminopolyethyleneglycol). The \({}^{1}\ce{H}\) NMR spectrum of 1 (DMSO-\(d_6\), 60 °C, 500 MHz) includes the following signals:

Index δ (ppm) Peak Area
a 2.7* 0.6
b 3.3 0.9
c 3.4 0.6
d \(\sim 3.5\) 133.7

Table 1, *in the presence of \(\ce{D2O}\), the signal at 2.7 ppm disappears.

6.1 Match the \({}^{1}\ce{H}\) NMR signals (a, b, c, d) from Table 1 with each of the corresponding protons.

Figure 2

6.2 Express the average degree of polymerization \(n\) as a function of the area \(A_{\ce{OC2H4}}\) of the NMR peak of the repeating unit and the area \(A_{\ce{OCH3}}\) of the NMR peak of the methyl end group. Calculate \(n\).

Study of a diblock-copolymer

The synthesis of the second block of the copolymer is performed through the reaction of 1 with 2 (ε- (benzyloxycarbonyl)-lysine N-carboxyanhydride).

This yields the block-copolymer 3.

Figure 3

6.3 Draw the reaction intermediate that is formed in the first step of the addition of 1 to 2. The second step of the mechanism leads to the formation of a gas molecule, G. Draw its structure.

Figure 4

6.4 Infrared (IR) measurements are performed to characterize the compounds. Match the three IR spectra with compounds 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7

6.5 The \({}^{1}\ce{H}\) NMR spectrum of copolymer 3 (in DMSO-\(d_6\), at 60 °C, 500 MHz) is reported in Fig. 1. Using some or all of the NMR signals, the areas of which are reported in Table 2, calculate its number average molar mass \(M_n\), considering \(n\) from question 2. For your calculations, draw a circle around the group(s) of atoms you used and give their corresponding symbol(s) (α, β…).

Table 2

Peak Area
α 22.4
β 119
γ 23.8
δ 47.6
ε 622
Figure 8

Fig. 1 – signals marked with * correspond to the solvent and water.

This reaction of 1 with 2 yielded the copolymers 3a after 20 h, 3b after 25 h and 3c after 30 h of reaction at 40 °C. Results of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) experiments are presented in Fig. 2.

Figure 9

Fig. 2 – SEC chromatograms of 3a, 3b and 3c as a function of the elution volume, \(V_e\).

6.6 Match the signals in Fig. 2 with the copolymers 3a, 3b and 3c.

3a: ☐ X  ☐ Y  ☐ Z
3b: ☐ X  ☐ Y  ☐ Z
3c: ☐ X  ☐ Y  ☐ Z

In order to calibrate the chromatogram, a mixture of standard polymers of known masses (3, 30, 130, 700 and 7000 kg mol\(^{-1}\)) has been studied (Fig. 3).

The log value of the molar mass is a linear function of the elution volume, \(V_e\).

Figure 10

Fig. 3 – SEC chromatogram of the mixture of standards.

6.7 Based on the SEC curves in Fig. 2 and 3, determine \(V_e\) of the polymer that corresponds to curve X and use it to estimate the degree of polymerization \(m\) of its second block. Detail your calculation; you may use a calculator or plot a graph.

Triblock copolymer synthesis

For biological applications, involving the formation of micelles, a triblock copolymer 9 can be synthesized through the introduction of a middle block, B, using monomer 5.

Figure 11

6.8 Draw the structures of 5, 7 and 8.

6.9 Amphiphilic block copolymers, such as 9: A-B-C, can be used for medical applications, as they self-assemble into micelles in water (pH = 7), which can be used as drug carriers. Assign each block of the copolymer to a property. Draw a scheme of the micelle with only 4 polymer chains.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

In the structural fragments below, [*] denotes the remainder of the chain, defined explicitly in the solution.

  • 6.1: a: both amino protons; b: the three methoxy protons; c: the two protons on the carbon directly bonded to the amino nitrogen; d: all remaining methylene protons.
  • 6.2: Using the entire observed peak d, \[ \boxed{n=\frac{3A_{\ce{OC2H4}}}{4A_{\ce{OCH3}}}-\frac12 =110.9\approx111.} \]
  • 6.3: The ring-opened intermediate is the \(N^\alpha\)-carbamic acid adduct, O=C(O)NC(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)C(=O)N[*]. It loses carbon dioxide, \(G=\ce{CO2}\), O=C=O.
  • 6.4: The three spectra, in reading order, correspond to \[ \boxed{2,\quad3,\quad1.} \]
  • 6.5: The protected lysine block contains approximately \(17\) residues: \[ \boxed{M_n(3)\approx9.4\times10^3\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}.} \] Use β, the Cbz phenyl protons, and ε, the PEG methylene protons; δ, the Cbz benzylic methylene, gives the same result.
  • 6.6: \(\boxed{\mathbf{3a}=Z,\quad\mathbf{3b}=Y,\quad\mathbf{3c}=X.}\)
  • 6.7: \(\boxed{V_e(X)\approx6.18\ \mathrm{mL}}\), giving \(M_X\approx1.9\times10^4\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\) and \(\boxed{m\approx52}\), approximately.
  • 6.8: 5: ε-caprolactone, O=C1OCCCCC1. 7: amino-terminated PEG–poly(ε-caprolactone), ending in [*]C(=O)CCCCCN. 8: PEG–poly(ε-caprolactone)–poly(\(N^\varepsilon\)-Cbz-lysine), formed by adding \(m\) protected lysine residues to the terminal nitrogen of 7; its peptide repeat is [*]C(=O)C(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)N[*].
  • 6.9: A: neutral hydrophilic PEG. B: hydrophobic poly(ε-caprolactone). C: hydrophilic, positively charged polylysine. Draw four B segments gathered into the micelle core, with four A arms and four C arms extending into water.

Solution

For variable-length polymers, a single ordinary SMILES cannot specify the whole distribution. Below, a SMILES construction means concatenating the stated strings, repeating a fragment the specified integer number of times. The accompanying formulas define the connectivity and average repeat counts.

The supplied structures do not specify absolute stereochemistry at the lysine α-carbons. Accordingly, the SMILES leave these stereocentres unspecified; the reactions shown retain their configuration.

6.1 — Assignment of the proton signals

Compound 1, α-methoxy-ω-aminopolyethyleneglycol, has the connectivity

\[ \ce{H2N-CH2-CH2-(OCH2CH2)_n-OCH3}. \]

Its SMILES construction is CO + \(n\) copies of CCO + CCN, reading from the methoxy end.

Signal Assignment Number of protons per chain Reason
a, 2.7 ppm Terminal \(\ce{NH2}\) 2 These exchangeable protons disappear after addition of deuterium oxide.
b, 3.3 ppm Terminal \(\ce{OCH3}\) 3 Its integral is \(3/2\) times either two-proton end-group integral.
c, 3.4 ppm \(\ce{NH2-CH2}\) 2 This is the remaining distinct two-proton terminal methylene.
d, approximately 3.5 ppm All other methylenes \(4n+2\) These are the oxygen-adjacent methylene protons of the PEG chain.

For the requested drawing, put a in both boxes beside nitrogen-bound hydrogens, b in all three boxes beside the terminal methyl hydrogens, c in both boxes on the methylene directly bonded to nitrogen, and d in every other methylene-proton box.

Deuterium oxide is heavy water, SMILES [2H]O[2H]; replacement of amino hydrogen by deuterium removes those nuclei from the proton NMR spectrum.

6.2 — Degree of polymerization of the first block

Let \(q\) be the integral corresponding to one proton per chain. The methoxy group gives

\[ A_{\ce{OCH3}}=3q. \]

The drawn structure contains one oxygen-adjacent terminal methylene outside the brackets, in addition to the \(n\) oxyethylene units. Therefore, the complete peak d has

\[ A_d=(4n+2)q. \]

Consequently,

\[ \frac{A_d}{A_{\ce{OCH3}}}=\frac{4n+2}{3}, \]

and

\[ \boxed{ n=\frac14\left(\frac{3A_d}{A_{\ce{OCH3}}}-2\right) }. \]

Numerically,

\[ n=\frac14\left(\frac{3(133.7)}{0.9}-2\right) =110.9167\approx111. \]

If \(A_{\ce{OC2H4}}\) means an integral already corrected to contain only the bracketed repeats, then

\[ A_{\ce{OC2H4}}^{\mathrm{repeat}} =A_d-\frac23A_{\ce{OCH3}}, \qquad n=\frac{3A_{\ce{OC2H4}}^{\mathrm{repeat}}} {4A_{\ce{OCH3}}}. \]

Thus the familiar repeat-to-end-group ratio and the end-corrected expression are consistent.

6.3 — Ring opening and release of gas

Define

\[ P=\ce{CH2CH2(OCH2CH2)_nOCH3}, \qquad R=\ce{(CH2)4NH-C(=O)-O-CH2-C6H5}. \]

The initiating amine is therefore \(\ce{P-NH2}\). The benzyloxycarbonyl, or Cbz, protecting group has attachment-fragment SMILES [*]C(=O)OCc1ccccc1.

Compound 2, \(N^\varepsilon\)-Cbz-lysine \(N\)-carboxyanhydride, has SMILES:

O=C1OC(=O)C(CCCCNC(=O)OCc2ccccc2)N1

The amine attacks the carbonyl derived from the amino acid’s carboxyl group—the ring carbonyl adjacent to the α-carbon. The carbonyl π electrons move to oxygen.

At elementary-step resolution, the immediate zwitterionic tetrahedral addition intermediate is:

O=C1OC([O-])([NH2+][*])C(CCCCNC(=O)OCc2ccccc2)N1

Here [*] is \(P\). To draw it, retain the five-membered ring, replace the attacked carbonyl by a tetrahedral carbon bearing \(\ce{O-}\), and attach the attacking \(\ce{NH2^{+}-P}\) group to that carbon.

Collapse of this intermediate breaks the ring’s acyl–oxygen bond. Proton transfer gives the ring-opened \(N^\alpha\)-carbamic acid adduct:

\[ \ce{P-NH-C(=O)-CH(R)-NH-C(=O)-OH}. \]

Its SMILES is:

O=C(O)NC(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)C(=O)N[*]

This is the intermediate immediately preceding the gas-producing step. Its formation and decomposition can be written as

\[ \ce{P-NH2 + NCA(R) -> P-NH-C(=O)-CH(R)-NH-C(=O)-OH}, \]

\[ \ce{P-NH-C(=O)-CH(R)-NH-C(=O)-OH -> P-NH-C(=O)-CH(R)-NH2 + CO2}, \]

where \(\ce{NCA(R)}\) denotes monomer 2.

The first insertion product, the PEG amide of \(N^\varepsilon\)-Cbz-lysine, has SMILES:

NC(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)C(=O)N[*]

Its newly formed amino group can attack another monomer, propagating the peptide block. One molecule of gas is released per incorporated monomer.

Thus G is carbon dioxide, \(\ce{CO2}\), SMILES O=C=O. Draw it as a linear molecule with an \(\ce{O-C-O}\) angle of \(180^\circ\).

The overall polymerization is

\[ \ce{P-NH2 + m NCA(R) -> H2N-[CH(R)-C(=O)-NH]_m-P + m CO2}. \]

6.4 — Identification of the IR spectra

Spectrum in reading order Compound Diagnostic features
First spectrum 2 Strong high-frequency carbonyl bands of the cyclic anhydride, approximately in the \(1850\)–\(1780\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\) region, together with the Cbz carbamate carbonyl.
Second spectrum 3 Peptide/carbamate carbonyl and amide bands, together with strong PEG ether absorption near \(1100\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\).
Third spectrum 1 Strong ether absorption and amino-group absorption, but no strong carbonyl band.

Ring opening consumes the cyclic anhydride functionality of 2 and creates peptide amide linkages in 3. Compound 1 contains no carbonyl groups.

6.5 — Number-average molar mass from NMR

Compound 3 is PEG–block–poly(\(N^\varepsilon\)-Cbz-lysine). Its SMILES is obtained by appending \(m\) copies of

C(=O)C(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)N

to the SMILES construction for compound 1.

The following nonexchangeable signals are sufficient:

Signal Group Proton count per chain
β, approximately 7.3 ppm Cbz phenyl groups \(5m\)
δ, approximately 5.0 ppm Cbz benzylic \(\ce{OCH2C6H5}\) groups \(2m\)
ε, approximately 3.5 ppm PEG oxygen-adjacent methylenes \(4n+2\)

The two Cbz signals agree exactly after normalization:

\[ \frac{A_\beta}{5}=\frac{119}{5}=23.8, \qquad \frac{A_\delta}{2}=\frac{47.6}{2}=23.8. \]

Using \(n\approx111\),

\[ m= \frac{A_\beta/5}{A_\epsilon/(4n+2)} = \frac{119/5}{622/446} =17.07\approx17. \]

Using only the bracketed PEG repeats and neglecting the two terminal methylene protons would give \(m=16.99\), with the same reported result.

For the requested circles, mark the Cbz phenyl rings and their five aromatic hydrogens as β and the PEG methylene groups contributing to the 3.5 ppm signal as ε. The Cbz benzylic methylene groups may additionally be circled and labelled δ.

The molecular formula of initiator 1 is

\[ \ce{C_{2n+3}H_{4n+9}NO_{n+1}}, \]

so its molar mass is

\[ M(1)=nM(\ce{C2H4O})+M(\ce{C3H9NO}) \approx44.05n+75.11. \]

At \(n=111\),

\[ M(1)\approx4965\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Each incorporated monomer loses one carbon dioxide molecule. The protected lysine residue therefore has formula \(\ce{C14H18N2O3}\) and molar mass

\[ M_{\mathrm{residue}} =M(2)-M(\ce{CO2}) =306.3-44.0 =262.3\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Hence

\[ M_n(3)=M(1)+mM_{\mathrm{residue}}, \]

\[ M_n(3)\approx4965+17.07(262.3) \approx9.44\times10^3\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

To an appropriate precision,

\[ \boxed{M_n(3)\approx9.4\ \mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}.} \]

6.6 — Assignment of the SEC curves

In size-exclusion chromatography, larger polymer coils enter fewer pores and elute at smaller volumes.

As polymerization proceeds, the second block grows. Thus, under the stated comparison,

\[ M(\mathbf{3c})>M(\mathbf{3b})>M(\mathbf{3a}), \]

and the elution volumes have the reverse order.

Since X elutes first, Y next and Z last,

\[ \boxed{ \mathbf{3a}=Z,\qquad \mathbf{3b}=Y,\qquad \mathbf{3c}=X. } \]

6.7 — SEC estimate of the second-block length

The maximum of curve X is approximately

\[ \boxed{V_e(X)\approx6.18\ \mathrm{mL}.} \]

Assign the standards from largest mass at the smallest elution volume to smallest mass at the largest volume. Approximate readings from Fig. 3 are:

\(V_e\) / mL \(M\) / \(\mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}\)
4.15 7000
4.90 700
5.50 130
6.05 30
6.80 3

A linear fit to these five points gives

\[ \log_{10}\!\left( \frac{M}{\mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}} \right) \approx 9.046-1.258\frac{V_e}{\mathrm{mL}}. \]

At \(V_e=6.18\ \mathrm{mL}\),

\[ M_X\approx10^{9.046-1.258(6.18)} \approx18.7\ \mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Subtracting the PEG initiator contribution and dividing by the protected lysine residue mass gives

\[ m_X= \frac{M_X-M(1)}{M_{\mathrm{residue}}}, \]

\[ m_X\approx \frac{18\,700-4965}{262.3} \approx52. \]

Thus

\[ \boxed{m_X\approx5.2\times10^1.} \]

This is a graph-based estimate associated with the SEC peak. Its precision is lower than the displayed intermediate calculation digits suggest.

6.8 — Structures of 5, 7 and 8

Compound 5 is ε-caprolactone, also called oxepan-2-one:

O=C1OCCCCC1

Draw a seven-membered cyclic ester containing one carbonyl carbon, one ring oxygen and five methylene carbons. Its ring-opening polymerization gives the polyester block

\[ \ce{[-C(=O)-(CH2)5-O-]_p}. \]

The lactone is incorporated without loss of a small molecule:

\[ \ce{CH3O(CH2CH2O)_nH + p C6H10O2 -> CH3O(CH2CH2O)_n[C(=O)(CH2)5O]_pH}. \]

This is the reaction of 4 with \(p\) molecules of 5 to form 6.

For concise structural formulas, define

\[ T= \ce{CH3O(CH2CH2O)_n [C(=O)(CH2)5O]_{p-1} C(=O)(CH2)5}. \]

Then compound 6 is \(\ce{T-OH}\).

Compound 7 is the corresponding amino-terminated PEG–poly(ε-caprolactone):

\[ \boxed{ \ce{CH3O(CH2CH2O)_n [C(=O)(CH2)5O]_{p-1} C(=O)(CH2)5NH2} }. \]

Its SMILES construction is:

  • CO;
  • followed by \(n\) copies of CCO;
  • followed by \(p-1\) copies of C(=O)CCCCCO;
  • followed by C(=O)CCCCCN.

The three transformations replace the terminal hydroxyl group by an amino group.

First, mesylation activates the alcohol:

\[ \ce{T-OH + CH3SO2Cl + N(C2H5)3 -> T-O-S(=O)2-CH3 + [HN(C2H5)3]+ + Cl-}. \]

Then azide displaces methanesulfonate:

\[ \ce{T-O-S(=O)2-CH3 + NaN3 -> T-N3 + NaO-S(=O)2-CH3}. \]

Finally, catalytic hydrogenation reduces the organic azide:

\[ \ce{T-N3 + H2 ->[Pd/C] T-NH2 + N2}. \]

The relevant species and their SMILES are:

Species SMILES
Methanesulfonyl chloride CS(=O)(=O)Cl
Triethylamine CCN(CC)CC
Triethylammonium chloride CC[NH+](CC)CC.[Cl-]
Polymer methanesulfonate, with [*] = \(T\) [*]OS(=O)(=O)C
Sodium azide [Na+].[N-]=[N+]=[N-]
Polymer azide, with [*] = \(T\) [*]N=[N+]=[N-]
Sodium methanesulfonate [Na+].CS(=O)(=O)[O-]
Hydrogen [H][H]
Nitrogen N#N

Compound 8 is PEG–poly(ε-caprolactone)–poly(\(N^\varepsilon\)-Cbz-lysine):

\[ \boxed{ \ce{T-NH-[C(=O)-CH(R)-NH]_m-H} }, \qquad R=\ce{(CH2)4NH-C(=O)-O-CH2-C6H5}. \]

Its SMILES construction is the complete construction for 7 followed by \(m\) copies of

C(=O)C(CCCCNC(=O)OCc1ccccc1)N

Thus the terminal nitrogen of 7 becomes the amide nitrogen joining blocks B and C. The far end of the peptide block remains an amino group.

The balanced propagation reaction is

\[ \ce{T-NH2 + m NCA(R) -> T-NH-[C(=O)-CH(R)-NH]_m-H + m CO2}. \]

To draw 8, take structure 9 from the question and replace every lysine side-chain \(\ce{NH2}\) by

\[ \ce{NH-C(=O)-O-CH2-C6H5}. \]

The final acid treatment removes these Cbz groups. Written for the neutral amine groups shown in structure 9, the protecting-group cleavage balance is

\[ \ce{R'-NH-C(=O)-O-CH2-C6H5 + HBr -> R'-NH2 + CO2 + C6H5CH2Br}. \]

Hydrogen bromide has SMILES Br; the acidic solvent, trifluoroacetic acid, is O=C(O)C(F)(F)F; the benzyl bromide by-product is BrCc1ccccc1. In the acidic reaction mixture, the liberated amines are protonated by additional acid.

The neutral connectivity of 9, PEG–poly(ε-caprolactone)–polylysine, is obtained by appending \(m\) copies of

C(=O)C(CCCCN)N

to the construction for 7.

6.9 — Block properties and the four-chain micelle

Block Chemical identity Representative repeat SMILES Property at pH 7
A Polyethylene glycol [*]CCO[*] Hydrophilic and electrically neutral
B Poly(ε-caprolactone) [*]C(=O)CCCCCO[*] Hydrophobic and electrically neutral
C Polylysine [*]C(=O)C(CCCC[NH3+])N[*] Hydrophilic and positively charged

PEG is hydrated through its ether oxygens. The caprolactone block contains long methylene sequences and favors the hydrophobic micelle core. The lysine side-chain amino groups are predominantly protonated at pH 7, giving \(\ce{-NH3+}\) groups and a hydrated, cationic block. The free terminal amino group can also be protonated.

For the requested four-chain micelle, draw the following arrangement:

  1. Draw a circle representing the hydrophobic core.
  2. Place exactly four folded B segments inside it, labelled \(B_1\) through \(B_4\).
  3. For each chain \(i\), place both its A–B and B–C junctions near the core surface.
  4. Extend one hydrated \(A_i\) arm and one positively charged \(C_i\) arm outward into water.

Each continuous chain therefore runs from an external A arm, through a buried B segment, and back out through an external C arm. The drawing contains four B segments in the core and eight hydrophilic exterior arms: four A and four C. Mark positive charges along the C arms.

SMILES describes each chain’s covalent connectivity; it does not represent this folded conformation or the noncovalent micelle assembly.

The solution was checked against the official solution. Where this solution differs from the official solution, the official solution contains an error or a misprint.