Method for the production of polyamino acid random copolymers

A method for the production of a polyamino acid random copolymer, the method comprising:

• a. polymerizing a mixture comprising at least one N-carboxyanhydride comprising Formula (I) and at least one N-carboxyanhydride comprising Formula (II) in the presence of a polymerization initiator to form a random copolymer comprising a repeat unit comprising Formula (Ia) and a repeat unit comprising Formula (Ila);
• wherein:
• the N-carboxyanhydride comprising Formula (I) corresponds to the following structure:
• the N-carboxyanhydride comprising Formula (II) corresponds to the following structure:
• the repeat unit comprising Formula (Ia) corresponds to the following structure:
• the repeat unit comprising Formula (IIa) corresponds to the following structure:
• b. hydrolyzing R1 from the repeat unit comprising Formula (la) in the presence of a base to form the polyamino acid random copolymer comprising repeat units corresponding to Formula (IIa) and (Ib), the repeat unit comprising Formula (Ib) corresponding to the following structure:
• wherein:
• R1 is an alkyl;
• R2 is selected from the group consisting of {—}CH2CH(CH3)2;
• {—}CH3;
• {—}CH(CH3)2;
• {—}(CH2)3;
• {—}H;
• {—}CH2OH;
• {—}CH2C(O)NH2;
• {—}(CH2)2C(O)NH2;
• {—}(CH2)2SCH3;
• {—}(CH2)indolyl;
• {—}(CH2)benzyl;
• {—}(CHCH3)CH2CH3;
• {—}(CH)OHCH3;
• {—}(CH2)SH;
• {—}(CH2)C6H4OH;
• {—}(CH2)C3N2H4;
• {—}(CH2)4NH3+;
• and {—}(CH2)3NHC(N+H2)NH2;
• X is hydrogen or an alkali metal
• m is 1 or 2;
• and
• n is an integer.