Facile synthesis of brush poly(phosphoamidate)s via one-pot tandem ring-opening metathesis polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization.

Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)-based brush poly(phosphoamidate)s are successfully synthesized by a combination of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) following either a commutative two-step procedure or a straightforward one-pot process using Grubbs ruthenium-based catalysts for tandem catalysis. Compared with the traditional polymerization method, combining ROMP and ATRP in a one-pot process allows the preparation of brush copolymers characterized by a relatively moderate molecular weight distribution and quantitative conversion of monomer. Moreover, the surface morphologies and aggregation behaviors of these polymers are studied by AFM and TEM measurements.