Hydrophilic and degradable polylactones via copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and oxo-crown ether catalyzed by a bifunctional organic base

Abstract Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) has been one of the most important biomaterials, but its instinct hydrophobicity and slow biodegradation limit its broad applications. Herein, copolymerization of CL and a hydrophilic macrolactone, 2-oxo-15-crown-5 ether (O15C), was achieved through ring opening polymerization catalyzed by 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) using benzyl alcohol as the initiator at room temperature. A series of poly(CL-co-O15C) copolymers with different O15C contents were prepared by simply tuning the feeding ratio of [CL]/[O15C]. They showed molecular weights ranging from 11.0 to 20.6 kg mol−1, and polydispersity index between 1.4 and 1.6, characterized by SEC (Size Exclusion Chromatography). Analysis of 1H NMR indicated that the copolymers belong to a random copolymer structure. The introduction of O15C had a significant influence on thermal stability, hydrophilicity and degradability of the copolymers. With increasing the O15C content, the crystalline ability of PCL segment among the copolymers reduced, while the hydrophilic property was improved obviously. Through hydrolysis experiment, the poly(CL-co-O15C) with O15C content of 38 mol% exhibited a much faster degradable rate than that of the copolymer with O15C content of 10 mol%. Therefore, copolymerization of CL with a crown ether monomer via organic catalyst mediated ROP will be a feasible strategy for modification of polyester materials.