Amino-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) as the initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of 3-methylmorpholine-2,5-dione

Block copolymers with poly[3-methylmorpholine-2,5-dione] (PMMD) and poly[ethylene glycol] (PEG) blocks, PMMD-b-PEG-b-PMMD, were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of 3-methylmorpholine-2,5-dione with amino-terminated PEG as the initiator at 140 °C within 10 h. Three kind of amino terminated PEG with different average molecular weight were used. The block copolymer was amorphous and the glass transition temperature decreased with increase of PEG block in the copolymer.