Catechol-rich polymers from N-substituted maleimides

A polymer, comprising a plurality of polymer blocks represented by Formula III:

• wherein, independently for each occurrence:
• Y is —OR3 or —N(R1)(R2);
• Z is hydrogen or optionally substituted alkyl, acyl, acyloxy, aryl, sulfonate, sulfone, sulfoxide, or sulfonamide;
• L is —(C(R1)2)n—, or —(C(R1)2)nO—;
• R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, alkyl, alkenyl, acyl, aryl, alkylamino, acylamino, alkoxy, acyloxy, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, (alkylamino)alkyl, alkylthio, thioalkyl, (alkylthio)alkyl, alkynyl, carboxyl, sulfate, amino, ether, thioether, ester, amide, thioester, carbonate, carbamate, urea, sulfonate, sulfone, sulfoxide, sulfonamide, heteroaryl, carbocyclyl, heterocyclyl, aralkyl, arylalkoxy, heteroaralkyl, carbocyclylalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl, and —OR2;
• provided that two instances of R represent —OR2;
• R1 is hydrogen or alkyl;
• R2 is hydrogen or optionally substituted alkyl, acyl, or aryl;
• R3 is hydrogen or alkyl;
• n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6;
• and
• m is 1 to 500,000.