PREPARATION OF A NOVEL BLOCK COPOLYMER BY THE ANIONIC-POLYMERIZATION OF A BICYCLIC OXALACTAM ACTIVATED WITH ISOCYANATE-TERMINATED POLYOXYETHYLENE AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ITS HYDROPHILIC MEMBRANE

A new block copolymer composed of polyamide as outer segments and polyoxyethylene as an inner segment was prepared by the anionic polymerizatioon of a bicyclic oxalactam, 8-oxa-6-azabicyclo left bracket 3. 2. 1 right bracket octan-7-one. A polyoxyethylene having terminal isocyanate groups was used as an activator obtained from polyoxyethylene glycol and an excess of tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate. A hydrophilic membrane was easily obtained by casting from a chlorofom-methanol (10:1) solution of the resulting block copolymer. The interaction of the copolymer membrane with water molecules was discussed in relation to the adsorption and permeation of water.