Terpolymerization of Carbon Dioxide with Propylene Oxide and ε-Caprolactone: Synthesis, Characterization and Biodegradability

Summary An aliphatic polycarbonate, terpolymer of carbon dioxide, propylene oxide and ε-caprolactone(PPC-CL-PPO-CL),was synthesized by using a polymer supported bimetallic complex as a catalyst.The terpolymers prepared were characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DSC and WAXD measurements. The influences of various reaction conditions such as molar ratio of the monomers, reaction time and reaction temperature on the terpolymerization progress were investigated. The results showed that ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) was inserted into the backbone of poly(propylene carbonate)-poly(propylene oxide) (PPC-PPO) successfully. The viscosity and glass transition temperature of the terpolymers were much higher than PPC-PPO. ε-Caprolactone offered an ester structural unit that gave the terpolymers remarkable degradability. And the degradation rate of the backbone increased with the ε-CL inserted into the terpolymers.