New hybrid core–shell star-like architectures made of poly(n-butyl acrylate) grown from well-defined titanium oxo-clusters

New hybrid star-like macromolecular objects have been designed from an inorganic multifunctional platform following two routes. The first one consists of the direct introduction of polymer arms at the surface of the titanium oxo-cluster [Ti16O16(OEt)32] by alkoxide exchange. The second approach corresponds to the growth by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) of n-butyl acrylate from the macroinitiator [Ti16O16(OEt)26(OCH2CCl3)6]. By crossing different characterization techniques and methodologies (single crystal X-ray diffraction, 13C and 17O NMR and 1H DOSY NMR spectroscopy, Size Exclusion Chromatography), evidence of the formation of such macromolecular compounds is reported.