The invention is directed to multi-functional N-maleimidyl polymer derivatives
comprising a water soluble and non-peptidic polymer backbone having a terminal
carbon, such as a poly(alkylene glycol), the terminal carbon of the polymer backbone
being directly bonded to the nitrogen atom of a N-maleimidyl moiety without a linking
group therebetween. The invention also provides two methods of preparing such linkerless
N-maleimidyl polymer derivatives.
