Triblock copolymers composed of soft and semi-crystalline segments—synthesis and characterization of poly[(n-butyl acrylate)-block-(ε-caprolactone)-block-(L-lactide)]

Abstract

Poly(n-butyl acrylate) terminated with benzyl alcohol units (PnBA-MI) of varying molecular weights were synthesized by polymerizing n-butyl acrylate using substituted benzyl alcohol based initiators under atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) conditions. Between the ligands bipyridine and PMDETA, the latter ligand showed better control for the polymerization of n-BA. High molecular weight diblock copolymers of poly[(n-butyl acrylate)-block-(3-caprolactone)] were synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of 3-caprolactone using PnBA-MI which formed thin, flexible and opaque films which are soft to touch. Triblock copolymers of poly[(n-butyl acrylate)-block-(3caprolactone)-block-(L-lactide)] were synthesized in a one pot, two step reaction by the sequential addition of monomers. The molecular weights of PCL and PL segments in the triblock copolymers were comparable. Due to this, the triblock copolymer showed exothermic transition upon cooling well above the T m of PCL block.

Dual hydrophilic and salt responsive schizophrenic block copolymers – synthesis and study of self-assembly behavior

“…The Dual hydrophilic BCPs showed stepwise degradation in the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Stepwise degradation is normally observed for block copolymers which are composed of segments of contrasting thermal stability [39][40][41] as well as in those polymers where the loss of side chains precedes the backbone degradation. 33 The TGA behavior of the BCPs studied here is due to a combination of these two phenomena.…”

Nanolamellar triblock of poly-d,l-lactide–δ-valerolactone–d,l-lactide with tuneable glass transition temperature and crystallinity for use as a drug-delivery vesicle

“…3,4 The ring-opening polymerization technique has been successfully used to synthesize copolymers of lactones such as glycolide, lactide (LA), b-butyrolactone, 3-caprolactone and 1,5-dioxepan-2-one. [5][6][7][8][9][10] The architecture of the copolymers was tailored to yield random, diblock, triblock, gra and star copolymers by controlling the sequence of addition and varying the initiator catalyst system. 11 There have been preliminary reports of the homopolymerization of d-valerolactone.…”

A new addition to the family of polyesters—Synthesis and characterization of novel (alternating) poly(ether ester)s, poly(butylene 3-/4-hydoxy benzoate)s

“…4. The morphology of reduced polymer as observed in SEM, appears similar to the block copolymers bearing caprolactone units [18].…”