N-alkyl urea peptoid oligomers containing glucose or mannose have been synthesized and characterized. The oligomers were subsequently polymerized using a step-growth polymerization with hexamethylene diisocyanate. Equal moles of both monomers were used to guarantee high-molecular weight polymers. The polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements of solvent cast thin films. Sulfation of the final polymers was achieved using a SO3/pyridine complex in pyridine to afford the heparin biomimetics. The average degree of sulfation was calculated to be 3.5 sulfates per saccharide as measured by elemental analysis. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.