ACRYLOYL-OMEGA-HYDROXYL-POLY(EPSILON-CAPROLACTONE) MACROMONOMER - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND COPOLYMERIZATION

acryloyl-omega-hydroxyl-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) macromonomer was sy nthesized using stannous 2-ethyl hexanoate (Sn(oct)(2)) as catalyst an d 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as initiator. The macromonomer wa s characterized by SEC, IR and H-1-NMR. The results confirmed the expe cted macromonomer structure, namely linear poly(epsilon-caprolactone) carrying a methacryloyl group and one hydroxyl end group. The polymeri zation kinetics and mechanism are discussed. The molecular weight and polydispersity of the macromonomer depended on the concentrations of S n(oct)2 and HEMA as well as the molar ratio of Sn/OH, respectively. Th e results imply that both Sn(oct)(2) and HEMA act as the initiator par ticipating in the polymerization. The copolymers from macromonomer and HEMA or macromonomer and trimethylene carbonate were synthesized thro ugh solution free radical or bulk ring-opening polymerizations. The ex pected graft structure of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-g-epsilon-c aprolactone) copolymer and block structure of poly(epsilon-caprolacton e-b-trimethylene carbonate) copolymer were confirmed by H-1-NMR.