Thermal degradation of poly(p-phenylene-graft-?-caprolactone) copolymer

The thermal degradation of poly(p-phenylene-graft-?-caprolactone) (PPP), synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation of poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) with a central 2,5-dibromo-1,4-benzene on the chain with 1,4-phenylene-diboronic acid, has been studied via direct pyrolysis mass spectrometry. The thermal degradation occurred mainly in two steps. In the first step, decomposition of PCL chains occurred. A slight increase in thermal stability of PCL chains was noted. In the second stage of pyrolysis, the decomposition of the polyphenylene backbone takes place. The evolution of CL monomer or small CL segments left on the phenyl ring continued also in the temperature region where degradation of PPP backbone started.