Effective Approach to Cyclic Polymer from Linear Polymer: Synthesis and Transformation of Macromolecular [1]Rotaxane.

Abstract

We report a convenient and scalable synthesis of cyclic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) from its linear counterpart based on the rotaxane protocol. Cyclic PCL was prepared by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) initiated by a pseudo[2]rotaxane initiator in the presence of diphenylphosphate (DPP) as a catalyst, followed by capping of the propagation end by using a bulky isocyanate to afford macromolecular [2]rotaxane. The successive intramolecular cyclization to macromolecular [1]rotaxane at the polymer terminus proceeded with good yield. The attractive interaction of the terminal ammonium/crown ether moiety was removed via N-acetylation. This enabled movement of the crown ether wheel along the axle PCL chain to the urethane region of the other terminus in solution state. Size-exclusion chromatography and 2D diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) results demonstrated the formation of cyclic PCL from linear PCL, which is further supported by thermal property or crystallinity change before and after transformation.