Biodegradable poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) multiblock copolymers

A series of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/poly(epsilon -caprolactone) (PCL) co ntaining biodegradable poly(ether ester urethane)s, covering a wide range o f compositions, were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis consisted of a two-step process. During the first step, the ring-opening reaction of epsilon -caprolactone was carried out, initiated by the hydroxyl terminal groups of the PEO chain. The second step involved the chain extension of th ese PCL-PEO-PCL trimers with hexamethylene diisocyanate. By varying either the ethylene oxide/epsilon -caprolactone ratio or the length of both segmen ts, we obtained a series of polymers having different morphologies and disp laying a broad range of properties. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.