Experimental and computational studies of ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene brassylate macrolactone and copolymerization with ε‐caprolactone and TBD‐guanidine organic catalyst. Issue 4 (1st December 2014) - Pascual, Ana
ABSTRACT The ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ethylene brassylate, catalyzed by the cyclic guanidine 1, 5, 7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD) is reported. Several experimental parameters were evaluated for bulk ROP process and polyesters, resulting in molecular weights between 3 and 15 kg mol−1. End‐group analysis by 1H nuclear magnetic resonnance (NMR) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight computational studies supports the dual behavior of TBD, which can act as both a catalyst and initiator of the polymerization process. Under optimum conditions, semicrystalline poly(ethylene brassylate‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) random copolymers were synthesized. Depending on the comonomer content, our results showed a range of melting temperatures between 39 and 69 °C. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 552–561