Functional Polyesters with Pendant Double Bonds Prepared by Coordination–Insertion and Cationic Ring-Opening Copolymerizations of ε-Caprolactone with Renewable Tulipalin A

Abstract

The synthesis of functional copolyesters that contain pendant double bonds in their structures is reported by ring-opening copolymerization of renewable monomer Tulipalin A (α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone, MBL) and e-caprolactone (CL) using either coordination–insertion or monomer activated mechanisms. Aluminum tris(isopropoxide) (Al(OiPr)3) was successfully used as a cheap and commonly available catalyst for the coordination–insertion ring-opening copolymerization, and functional copolyesters with dispersities below 1.2 and with contents of MBL units in the copolymer up to 25 mol % were prepared. In addition, linear or multiarm copolymers of MBL with CL were synthesized by cationic ring-opening copolymerization that was conducted using protic acid as a “metal-free” catalyst in combination with mono- or multihydroxyl alcohols as initiators. The molecular characteristics and composition of the functional copolyesters were determined by GPC, NMR, two-dimensional NMR, and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy. The effect of M...