Abstract
Graft copolymers of poly(tulipalin A) (PT) and poly(DL-lactide) (PDLLA) (PT-g-PDLLA) having various graft lengths and ratios were synthesized by free-radical copolymerization of α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MBL) and PDLLA macromonomers (HEMA-PDLLA) terminated by 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-terminated. HEMA-PDLLA were synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of DL-lactide in the presence of HEMA. Both HEMA-PDLLA and the copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal properties of the graft copolymers were found to depend on the graft length and the ratio. The copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of Mn = 500 Da showed a single Tg between Tgs of the two component polymers, suggesting a miscible state of PT and PDLLA. In contrast, the copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of Mn = 1100, 2000, and 7000 Da showed two isolated Tg, suggesting two segregated domains. The AFM phase images of the copolymers supported the single and phase-separated morphologies for the former and latter systems, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
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