Recent developments in sonochemical polymerisation

High intensity ultrasound has been applied to two classes of step-growth polymerisation. The ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic lactones to polyesters was accelerated under 20 kHz ultrasound but, in the case of delta-valerolactone, sonication also promoted a depolymerisation reaction so that the molecular weight fell during later stages of the reaction. Sonication was also applied to the preparation of polyurethanes from a number of diisocyanates and diols. In all cases, the sonochemical reactions proceeded faster in the early stages and led to higher molecular weight polymers. The effect of changing the ultrasound intensity is discussed and some speculation as to the mechanisms of the reaction enhancements is given.