Hydroxyl-ended polyoxyethylene

Linear block copolymers of the ABA type have been prepared using hydroxyl-terminated polyoxyethylenes as starter molecules and polymerizing epsilon-caprolactone onto each end of the molecules (185). Similar ABA block, polyester/poly(alkylene oxide)/polyester copolymers were synthesized by growing polyester blocks onto preformed polyoxyethylene by means of condensation polymerization (186). The polyester blocks included 1,6-hexanediol and 1,10-decanediol adipates and azelates. 

Novel surface-active macromonomers were prepared via a two-step synthesis shown in Figs. 13 and 14 [47-49]. Hydrophobic alkyl methacrylate or, as shown in Fig. 13, fluoroalkyl methacrylate monomers were dissolved in a mutual solvent along with a polyoxyethylene methacrylate, a functional mercaptan, and free radically copolymerized. Utilizing the hydroxyl or carboxylate functionality of the end group, the copolymer was then rendered polymerizable by reaction with an appropriate methacrylate-containing reactant as shown in Fig. 14. 

Polyoxyethylene oleyl ethers, POE(5), POE(IO) and POE(20) were kindly supplied by NOF CO., LTD. POE(5), POE(IO), and POE(20) were synthesized from high-purity oleyl alcohol (99.7%). The mean number of oxyethylene unit, which was determined by analyzing end hydroxyl group [4], are 5.1 for POE(5), 10.7 for POE(IO) and 19.2 for POE(20), respectively. The trace of oleyl alcohol was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography, but the distribution of number of oxyethylene unit(n) in POE(n) is narrow. Doubly distilled water was used. 

---