title: Structure-property relationships of copolymers obtained by ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone. Part 1. Synthesis and characterization.
abstract: A series of copolymers with various compositions were synthesized by bulk ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone, using stannous (II) octoate or zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate as initiator. Reaction time and temperature were varied so as to induce different chain microstructures. The resulting copolymers were characterized by (1)H NMR, SEC, DSC, and X-ray diffraction. The average lengths of glycolyl (L(G)) and caproyl sequences (L(C)) and the degree of randomness (R) were calculated and compared to the values of completely random chains. The concentration of CGC sequences was also obtained which resulted from transesterification reactions. Data showed that stannous (II) octoate leads to less transesterification than zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate, and lower temperatures lead to less transesterification than higher ones. The copolymers exhibited a more or less blocky chain structure because of the reactivity difference between glycolide and epsilon-caprolactone. The crystalline structure and thermal properties depend on both the composition and the chain microstructure. PGA- and PCL-type crystallites were obtained for copolymers with intermediate compositions.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Polymer Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 34 Sklodowska Curie st. 41-808 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dobrzynski
authors.forename: Suming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kasperczyk
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bero
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gasc
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vert
mesh_terms: D002208:Caproates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D007783:Lactones / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D007783:Lactones; D011108:Polymers; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; C121056:caprolactone