Heterofunctional polyethylene glycol and polyethylene oxide, process for their manufacture

A heterofunctional polyethylene glycol or polyethylene oxide, and salts thereof, and wherein the polyethylene glycol or polyethylene oxide is represented by one of the formulas I to IV defined as follows:

• wherein:
• m is an integer from 5 to 10,000;
• n is an integer from 1 to 20;
• each A is independently an alkyl, a substituted alkyl group or a hydrogen atom, and
• wherein for formulas (I), (III) and (IV), each R is independently an organic substituent, and optionally comprises at least one heteroatom, and
• wherein for formula (II), R represents one of the following groups:
• COOX, wherein X represents a substituted alkyl group when A is independently an alkyl, a substituted alkyl or a hydrogen, or wherein X represents an alkyl group when at least one A is an alkyl or substituted alkyl;
• COOSi(A)3, wherein each A independently represents an alkyl, a substituted alkyl group or a hydrogen atom;
• BCOONL, wherein B and L independently represent an alkyl, a substituted alkyl group or a hydrogen atom;
• an alkyl or a substituted alkyl group;
• COHal, wherein Hal is a halogen atom;
• CONYZ, wherein each of Y and Z independently represents an alkyl group or a substituted alkyl group or a hydrogen atom;
• NX″Y″, wherein each of X″ and Y″ independently represents an alkyl, a substituted alkyl group or a hydrogen atom;
• (CH2)pCOOH, wherein p=4–10
• (CH2)2COOH or COOH when at least one A is an alkyl or substituted alkyl
• with the proviso that in formula (I), when each A represents a hydrogen atom, n is an integer from 3 to 20.