| Abstract: | Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers is the method of choice when tailor-made polymers and copolymers with heteroatoms in the main chain are to be prepared. Triblock copolymers comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) block poly(EO)] and two poly(2,2-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate) blocks poly(DTC)] were prepared using a telechelic poly(EO) as initiator for the DTC polymerization. These block copolymers dissolve suitable salts leading to solid polymeric electrolytes. The thermal properties and the ionic conductivity of these materials are presented. Block copolymers comprising a poly(tetrahydrofuran) block poly(THF)] and a poly(trimethylene urethane) block poly(TU)] were obtained by sequential cationic polymerization of THF and TU with methyl trifluoromethane-sulfonate as initiator. Mechanistic and kinetic aspects of the TU polymerization are discussed. To achieve the synthesis of block copolymers with a poly(L-lactide) block poly(LLA)] and a poly(α-amino acid) block poly(AA)] amino-terminated poly(LLA) was prepared which served as initiator for the polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides. |
