FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLY(1,3-DIOXOLANE)

1,3-Dioxolane was polymerized in the presence of ethylene glycol in or der to prepare alpha,omega-dihydroxylated polymers which, upon reactio n with pluriisocyanates yielded networks swellable in water. The cross links were made of urethane groups, which are bulky and hydrophobic. I n order to expand the scope of the networks that can be envisioned, we have studied the replacement of the two end-standing hydroxylic group s by unsaturated polymerizable groups. Several methods are presented w hich allow successfully the quantitative endowment of the polymer endi ngs with methacryloyl- or styryl- or vinylether-type groups. alpha,ome ga-dihydroxylated poly(1,3-dioxolane) was also metallated and used as a macroinitiator for the polymerization of ethylene oxide: the alpha,o mega-dihydroxylated triblock copolymer obtained is made of a central p oly(1,3-dioxolane) block flanked by two poly(ethylene oxide) ones. Sev eral methods are also shown to be efficient in the characterization of the hydroxylic end-standing functions of the polymer.