Aqueous Epoxide Ring-Opening Polymerization (AEROP): Green Synthesis of Polyglycidol with Ultralow Branching

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b00305
• Publication Date: 2016-03-04T19:30:46Z
• Authors: Benjamin R. Spears; Michael A. Marin; J. Rafael Montene...; Brian C. Evans; John McLean; Eva Harth
• Keywords: Branching (polymer chemistry); Glycidol; Degree of polymerization

A green synthesis method for the preparation of polyglycidol in buffer with a high degree control is presented. Polymerizations were conducted phosphate buffered saline (PBS) varying pH 3.8, 6.0, and 8.0 deionized water at temperatures 60, 80, 100 °C. Taking advantage catalytic reactivity between glycidol afforded novel polymerization technique facile systems semibranched architectures branching (DB) 0.24, which situates polymers purely linear (DB = 0) hyperbranched 0.56–0.63) systems. This sidesteps strenuous conditions required most structures provides well-controlled reproducible species linearity narrow polydispersities 1.1–1.2 via first nonexothermic polyglycidol.