SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPOLYMERS OF METHYL ACRYLATE AND POLY(GLYCOLIDE) MACROMONOMERS

This paper describes the synthesis of graft copolymers with a main cha in of acrylic nature; the grafts attached to the backbone are composed of a biodegradable polyester, poly(glycolic acid), with well-known ap plications in medicine. The synthesis has been carried out by radical polymerisation of methyl acrylate and poly(glycolic acid) chains that have been functionalised previously with a methacrylic residue. These functionalised chains have been synthesised by the ring opening polyme risation of the cyclic dimer of glycolic acid, glycolide, using a func tionalised initiator. All the products have been characterised spectro scopically. The thermal properties of the copolymers have also been me asured. These results indicate that the copolymers have a biphasic mor phology. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.