Degradable Polymers and Block Copolymers from Electron-deficient Carbonyl Compounds (STIR) (7.3 Polymer Chemistry - Synthesis: Architecture and Composition).

摘要

Polyacetals are a readily degradable class of polymers with potential uses in the preparation of porous materials and patterned surfaces and in a range of applications as surfactants and drug delivery agents. There are very few synthetic routes to polyacetals that have been reported in the literature to date, which has limited the investigation of these materials. Recently developed organocatalysis systems have been investigated to determine their suitability for the polymerization of model polyacetals based on ethyl glyoxylate, a monomer which can be produced from renewable resources. The preliminary efforts carried out under this STIR grant suggest that organocatalysis can be used to control the polymerization of acetals for preparation of degradable polymers suitable for the preparation of porous and lightweight polymer materials.