Solid‐Phase Incorporation of an ATRP Initiator for Polymer–DNA Biohybrids

The combination of polymers with nucleic acids leads to materials with significantly advanced properties. To obviate the necessity and complexity of conjugating two macromolecules, a polymer initiator is described that can be directly covalently linked to DNA during solid-phase synthesis. Polymer can then be grown from the DNA bound initiator, both in solution after the DNA-initiator is released from the solid support as well as directly on the solid support, simplifying purification. The resulting polymer-DNA hybrids were examined by chromatography and fluorescence methods that attested to the integrity of hybrids and the DNA. The ability to use DNA-based supports expands the range of readily available molecules that can be used with the initiator, as exemplified by direct synthesis of a biotin polymer hybrid on solid-support. This method expands the accessibility and range of advanced polymer biohybrid materials.