Rapid synthesis of biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone) random copolymers under microwave irradiation

Biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone) (PCDO) random copolymers have been synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and p-dioxanone (PDO) under microwave irradiation. The effects of irradiation time and different CL/PDO molar feed ratios on the microwave-assisted ring-opening polymerization (MROP) of PCDO have been discussed. The resultant products were characterized by 1H NMR, GPC and DSC. It was found that the polymerization was completed within 20 min at 140 °C. In the presence of different CL/PDO molar feed ratios, the conversions of both monomers were kept relatively constant. DSC study suggested that with increasing the content of PDO in the copolymers, the crystalline degree of the copolymers decreased gradually. It is believed to be a promising biodegradable material.