New brush-like copolymers have been synthesized using functional polymethacrylate backbones bearing pendant sugars. Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide and e-caprolactone have been performed using 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) carbohydrate residues on the polymethacrylate chains. The latter have been first synthesized by copolymerization of three methacrylate monomers including methyl methacrylate (MMA), 1-methoxy, omega-methacrylate poly(ethylene oxide) (MAPEO), and 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactopyranose (MAIGP) by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in toluene at 80 degrees C using CuBr ligated with 1,1,4,7,10,10 hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (HMTETA) as catalytic complex. The protected sugars have been selectively deprotected using an aqueous solution of formic acid. The molecular characterization of those copolymers was performed by (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.