TAILORING LINEAR POLYAMINES: How Monomer Architecture Influences Assembly and Application

This research examines how the synthesis and stereochemistry of linear polyamines govern their properties. Living anionic ring-opening polymerization of activated aziridines yielded linear polypropylene imines with controlled tacticity. Crystalline isotactic variants formed aqueous helices and showed lower cytotoxicity than commercial hyperbranched polyethyleneimine in transfection trials. The work also produced polyphosphonate-block-polyamine double hydrophilic block copolymers capable of stereochemistry-dependent, pH-responsive self-assembly for potential targeted biomedical delivery. Finally, incorporating linear polyamines into multilayer hollow-fiber membranes balanced water permeability with molecular-weight cut-off, offering promise for micropollutant removal.