Popis: |
Although cyclic ketene acetals, such as 2-methylene-1, 3-dioxepane, undergo quantitative free-radical ring-opening polymerization, their reactivity in copolymerization is rather low. In order to find a series of monomers that have high reactivities in copolymerization and still undergo free radical ring-opening polymerization, a series of cyclic acrylates was synthesized and polymerized. For example, β-bromolactic acid condensed with benzaldehyde to give a cyclic acetal lactone which on treatment with base gave the cyclic acrylate. Free-radical solution polymerization at 140°C of the cyclic acrylate, which produced a benzyl radical upon ring opening, gave quantitative ring opening. However, in bulk at 120°C, only 20% of the rings were opened during poiymerization. The resulting polymers containing the pyruvate ester units were shown to be highly biodegradable with microorganisms. Vesicles containing these cyclic acrylates on the end of one of the hydrophobic chains of the lipidlike molecules were... |