Probabilistically Patterned: Synthesis and Characterization of Random Copolymers in Ensemble and at the Single Chain Level.

Living polymerization techniques have enabled polymer scientists to create random copolymers combining a breadth of interesting monomers, with precise control over composition, molecular weight, and architecture. These materials, with their multi-functional ligands and well-defined features, begin to approach the complexity achieved in natural biopolymers. Recent studies have been performed on their ability to produce proton specific membranes and to stabilize enzymes in organic solvents, enabling active hybrid biomaterials production. However, most of the materials characterization is done on ensembles of polymer chains. What if, in the application, we are seeing the achievements of a few outlier sequences? Herein we use computational and experimental approaches to characterize random copolymers at both ensemble and single chain levels to further our understanding of the relationship between aggregate properties, sequence specificity, and activity.