Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) by ring opening polymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide

PMSE 248

Burcu Saner, bsaner@su.sabanciuniv.edu1, Nalan Bilgin, nalanbilgin@gmail.com2, Aysegul Namuslu3, Erhan Piskin3, and Yusuf Menceloglu, yusufm@sabanciuniv.edu1. (1) Materials Science and Engineering Program, Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli Tuzla, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey, (2) Environmental Sciences, Bosphorus University, Istanbul, 34342, Turkey, (3) Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 06532 Ankara, Ankara, 06532, Turkey
Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLLA/PCL), containing low amount of polycaprolatone segment (PLLA/PCL, 78/22) was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization with stannous octoate catalyst in scCO2. A fluorinated reactive stabilizer was synthesized and utilized in polymerization reactions of CL and LLA in scCO2. Reactions were carried out at 80ºC and 250 bar in a supercritical vessel and the effects of catalyst concentration, reaction times, and stirring rate were compared. The molecular weights of the products were measured with the aid of gel permeation chromatography; the products possessed average molecular weights (Mw) in the range of 7000-24,390, and relatively low polydispersity indexes. Further cleaning of products was performed with extraction by scCO2, a challenging alternative both as a reaction medium and an extraction solvent in order to obtain clean products for biomedical applications.

 

Joint PMSE/POLY Poster Session
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006