Polymerisation and stabilisation of polycaprolactone using a borontrifluoride-glycerol catalyst system

This paper describes a new synthetic route to poly-epsilon -caprolactone. A new cationic polymerisation has been developed which uses a borontrifluori de catalyst to open the caprolactone monomer, and glycerol to increase the molecular weights of the products. A post-treatment method has also been de veloped to reduce the amount of residual catalyst in the final product. Thi s reduces the extent of borontrifluoride catalysed hydrolysis and therefore allows variation of the degradation rate of the material. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.