Synthesis and characterization of cyclohexene oxide functional poly (ε-caprolactone) macromonomers and their use in photoinitiated cationic homo- and copolymerization

A novel poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) macromonomer possessing cyclohexane oxide (CHO) end groups was sythesized and employed in photoinitiated cationic (co)polymerization using diphenyliodonium salt. PCL macromonomer was used as a comonomer in the copolymerization with CHO under the same conditions that applied for the polymerization of PCL macronomer itself. Synthesis was facilitated by using ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) and subsequent epoxidation process. It was found that the photoinitiation of cationic polymerizations can be efficiently achieved by using the iodonium salt at with the aid of sensitizers and free radical sources.