| Abstract: | The goal of this research is to synthesize biodegradable polymers that would have nitroxyl radical biological functions. Linear aliphatic polyesters were chosen as the starting materials. The hydroxyl‐terminated polylactide/?‐caprolactones (PBLC‐OHs) were first synthesized by melt ring‐opening copolymerization in the presence of benzyl alcohol and stannous octoate. PBLC‐OHs were used as the precursor for the synthesis of double bond‐functionalized polylactide/?‐caprolactones (PBLC‐Mas) by reacting the hydroxyl end groups of PBLC‐OH with maleic anhydride in melt at 130 °C. Acrylic acid/lactide/?‐caprolactone graft copolymers (PBLCAs) were then successfully carried out by the radical copolymerization of acrylic acid and PBLC‐Ma initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile. Finally, nitroxyl radicals 4‐amino‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxy (TAM)] were incorporated into the carboxylic acid sites of the acrylic acid/lactide/?‐caprolactone copolymer (TAM‐PBLCA) by reacting TAM with PBLCA in the presence of N,N′‐carbonyl diimidazole. A high content of TAM was incorporated into the PBLCA copolymer. The polymers synthesized were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 4214–4226, 2001 |
