Poly e-Caprolactone -Based Nanocomposites

The in-situ polymerization technique has received much attention since the successful preparation of exfoUated nanocomposite structures from polyamides [16-18] by promoting polymerization from initiators located on the clay surfaces. 

Early works on in-situ polymerization of e-caprolactone were carried out by Messersmith and GianneUs [19]. A composite consisting of poly (e-caprolactone)-intercalated silicate particles embedded in the same polymer matrix was synthesized by heating Cr -fluorohectorite (a synthetic mica type of silicate) to 100 °C in the presence of an excess of e-caprolactone. 

The polymer matrix was isolated and found to be indistinguishable (except for chain end groups) from the bulk polymer obtained by metal-alkoxide-initiated polymerization. The polymerization reaction was postulated to proceed through cleavage of the acyl-oxygen bond catalyzed by the interlayer Cr ions. The intercalated polymer was strongly adsorbed onto the silicate layers and showed no melting transition. 

Messersmith and Giannelis [20] also reported the preparation of nanocomposites by reacting protonated 12-aminolauric acid-exchanged montmorillonite with e-caprolactone monomer. The monomer ring was initially intercalated in the gaps 

PCL is thermodynamically miscible with many other polymers (e.g., PVC or SAN copolymer) and can be used as an environmentally decomposable additive that facilitates plastic degradation [33]. A study was recently undertaken to dissolve PCL-clay systems prepared by in-situ polymerization in a SAN matrix and evaluate 

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Gotfin AL, Raquez JM, Duquesne E, Siqueira G, Habibi Y, Dufresne A, Dubois P. Poly (e-caprolactone) based nanocomposites reinforced by surface-grafted cellulose nanowhiskers via extrusion processing morphology, rheology and thermo-mechanical properties. Polymer 2011 52 1532-1538. 

SdviUe, P. Lazzaroni, R. PoUet, E. Alexandre, M. Dubois, P. Borcia, G. Pireaux, J.-J. Surface characterization of poly(e-caprolactone)-based nanocomposites. Langmuir 2003, 19, 9425-9433. 

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