PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL BIODEGRADABLE TRIACRYLATE AND TETRAACRYLATE INTERMEDIATES

Two biodegradable polymer intermediates, triacrylate 4 and tetraacryla te 7, were prepared by polycondensation reaction of ethyl beta-hydroxy butyrate using glycerol and pentaerythritol as initiators and dibutylt in oxide as a catalyst, followed by functionalization of the hydroxyl end groups with acryloyl chloride in the presence of triethyl amine. T hese polymer intermediates were characterized using H-1-NMR and IR spe ctroscopic analysis and were employed as crosslinking agents during po lymerization of partially neutralized acrylic acid to obtain the corre sponding potentially biodegradable polyacrylates.