Web Release Date: November 21,
Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hyperbranched Poly(3,4-epoxycyclohexanemethanol)
and
Division of Biotechnology and Macromolecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan; National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-17-2-1 Tsukisamu-Higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-8517, Japan; MACROTEC Company, 2-17-2-1 Tsukisamu-Higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-8517, Japan; and Division of Innovative Research, Creative Research Initiative "Sousei" (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
Received August 6, 2007
Revised Manuscript Received September 19, 2007
Abstract:
The cationic ring-opening polymerizations of an alicyclic epoxyalcohol, 3,4-epoxycyclohexanemethanol (1), were carried out using boron trifluoride diethyletherate (BF3·OEt2) as a catalyst. Polymerization
of 1 heterogeneously proceeded to yield a gel-free polymer (poly-1). On the basis of the 13C NMR measurement,
poly-1 was a hyperbranched polymer with numerous terminal units, and the degrees of branching (DBs) of poly-1
were in the range from 0.36 to 0.42. The three-dimensional property of poly-1 was investigated by comparison
to the physical property of a linear poly(3,4-epoxycyclohexanemethanol) (poly-3). The viscosity and Mark-Houwink exponent 
of poly-1 were much lower than those of poly-3, suggesting that poly-1 had a compact
conformation in solution. In addition, the glass-transition temperature (Tg) of poly-1 was ca. 105 
C, which
was also lower than that of poly-3. A novel amphiphilic dendritic polymer (poly-1ASP) having a hydrophobic
poly-1 core and hydrophilic L-aspartic acid shell was synthesized. On the basis of the results of an encap-sulation experiment, poly-1ASP possessed an encapsulation property for hydrophobic molecule (Reichardt's dye)
in water.
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