[en] ring opening metathesis polymerization ; ring opening polymerization ; lactone ; graft polymer
[en] Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) macromonomers capped by a polymerizable norbornene end-group have been synthesized and (co)polymerized by ring-opening metathesis with formation of graft copolymers and polymacromonomers. -Norbornenyl PCL macromonomers have been synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) initiated by 2-diethylaluminoxymethyl-5-norbornene. Copolymerization of these PCL macromonomers with norbornene and polymerizable derivatives has been catalyzed by the [RuCl2(p-cymene)]2 PCy3/(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane complex yielding a series of poly(norbornene)-graft-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers. These new graft copolymers have been characterized by a set of analytical methods, i.e., SEC, 1H-NMR, FTIR, DSC, and TGA. Furthermore, PCL macromonomers have been polymerized into high molecular weight comb chains of narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn = 1.10) within high yields (90%).
Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM)
Politique Scientifique Fédérale (Belgique) = Belgian Federal Science Policy ; IBM Belgium ; Govierno Vasco