The copolymerization of l-lactide and ɛ-caprolactone using magnesium octoate as a catalyst

Copolymerizations of l-lactide (l-LA) and ɛ-caprolactone (ɛ-CL) were conducted in bulk using magnesium octoate as a catalyst. The reactivity ratios of l-LA and ɛ-CL were determined to be rL = 23 and rC = 0.22, respectively. The sequence analyses of the copolymers were performed on 13C NMR. An increase in the reaction temperature enhances the role of transesterification and the extent of randomness.