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presented a novel approach for the controlled intramolecular collapse of linear polymer chains to give well-defined single-molecule nanoparticles with a structure directly related to the original linear polymer. Author showed that single-molecule nanoparticles could be prepared from linear polystyrene functionalized with benzocyclobutene by continuously adding the polymer to a high-boiling solvent, such as dibenzyl ether, at 250 °C. After removing the solvent, the nanoparticles can be isolated using normal precipitation techniques.
"By employing a combination of living free-radical polymerization and benzocyclobutene chemistry, nanoparticles can be routinely prepared in multigram quantities with the size being accurately controlled either by the initial degree of polymerization of the linear chain, or by the level of incorporation of the benzocyclobutene coupling groups." . "We have used the strategy to produce well-defined sub-10-nm nanoparticles for the generation of nanoporous thin films as ultra-low dielectric constant insulators for microprocessors. The ability to accurately control the size and functionality of the nanoparticles leads to pores of approximately the same size--10 nm--that is required for the next generation of microprocessors."
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