Free radical ring-opening synthesis

This indicates the possibility of making addition polymers biodegradable by the introduction of ester linkages in to the backbone. Since the free radical ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals, such as 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (1, Scheme I), made possible the introduction of ester groups into the backbone of addition polymers, this appeared to be an attractive method for the synthesis of biodegradable addition polymers. 

Bailey WJ, Ni Z, Wu S-R (1982) Synthesis of poly-e-caprolactone via a free radical mechanism. Free radical ring opening polymerization of 2-methylene-l,3-dioxepane. J Polym Sci A Polym Chem 20 3021-3030... 

Bailey, W.J., Wu, S.R., and Ni, Z. (1982) Synthesis and free radical ring-opening polymerization of 2-methylene-4-phenyl-... 

K. (1984) Synthesis of functionally-terminated oligomers by free radical ring-opening polymerization. J. Macromol. ScL Part A Pure Appl. Chem., 21 (8), 979. 

Free radical polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals has been used for the synthesis of polyfy-butyrolactone), which cannot be prepared by the usual lactone route due to the stability of the five-membered ring. The polymerization of 2-methylene-l,3-dioxalane at high temperatures (above 120 °C) gave a high molecular mass polyester [59,79]. Only 50% of the rings opened when the polymerization was carried out at 60 °C, and this led to the formation of a random copolymer. The presence of methyl substituents at the 4- or 5-position facilitated the reaction. The free radical initiators generally used in such polymerizations are ferf-butyl hydroperoxide, ferf-butyl peroxide, or cumene hydroperoxide. The various steps involved are described in Scheme 5 [59]. 

Ring-opening polymerization is an important field of research in the chemistry of polymer synthesis. Usually, it proceeds by ionic mechanisms, i.e. cationic, anionic and coordinate anionic mechanisms. Research on ring-opening polymerization proceeding via free-radical propagating species in which the so-called molecular design of monomer plays an important role has recently been reported. 

Besides some particular cases such as ozonolysis2,3) or ring-opening polymerization of ketene-acetal type monomers4), the hydroxytelechelic polymers can be synthesized also by anionic polymerization. This process leads to polymers with smaller polydispersity and to a theoretical functionality of two free-radical polymerizations are easier to carry out, cheaper and, therefore, of industrial importance. Several reviews deal with the synthesis of functionally terminated polymers s>6 7, while this paper concerns only radical processes leading to hydroxytelechelic polymers. 

Many polymerization techniques have been combined with CRP through site transformation of the active species. These include non-living techniques like condensation (or step) and conventional free radical processes or living methods like anionic, cationic, and ring-opening polymerizations, as well as others. Early examples were undertaken perhaps just to show that two different techniques could be combined, while later examples show how elegant the combinations have become and provide a foundation for controlled synthesis of materials from any type of monomers. These types of reactions are detailed below. 

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