Synthesis, characterization, and thermal stability of star-shaped poly(ε-caprolactone) with phosphazene core

Hexakis[p-(hydroxylmethyl)phenoxy]cyclotriphosphazene was synthesized by the reaction of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene with the sodium salt of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and subsequent reduction of aldehyde groups to alcohol groups by using sodium borohydride. This compound was employed in initiating the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. The resulting polymers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The characterization data indicated the star-shaped PCL with phosphazene core were successfully synthesized with narrow molecular weight distribution and high yields. 1H-NMR analysis was used to calculate the number-average molecular weight. The calculated result from NMR was closer to the theoretical data than that from GPC analysis. Polarizing optical microscopy (POM) combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the crystallization behavior of the star-shaped PCL. The result indicated that the highly branched architecture of star-shaped PCL resulted in interrupted crystallization form and subsequently lower melting temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) carried out on the star-shaped PCL suggested that introduction of phosphazene rings strengthen the thermal stability of the resulting polymers.