The convergent synthesis of poly(glycerol-succinic acid) dendritic macromolecules.The high-yield convergent synthesis of dendrons, dendrimers, and dendritic-linear hybrid macromolecules composed of succinic acid(cas:110-15-6), glycerol, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is described.

This convergent synthesis relies on two orthogonal protecting groups; namely, the benzylidene acetal (bzld) for the protection of the 1,3-hydroxyls of glycerol and the tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) ester for protection of the carboxylic acid of succinic acid(cas:110-15-6). These novel polyester dendritic macromolecules are composed entirely of building blocks known to be biocompatible or degradable in vivo to give natural metabolites. Derivatization of the dendritic periphery with a methacrylate affords a polymer that can be subsequently photo-cross-linked.

The three-dimensional cross-linked gels formed by ultraviolet irradiation are optically transparent, with mechanical properties dependent on the initial cross-linkable dendritic macromolecule.