New polymer syntheses. CXI. Aliphatic polyesters by the ring-opening polycondensation of glutaric anhydride with ethylene or trimethylene carbonate

Several polycondensations of ethylene carbonate with succinic anhydride or glutaric anhydride (GA) were conducted in bulk. Low molar mass polyesters were obtained with pyridine-type catalysts and GA. Analogous polycondensations of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and GA were successful when quinoline, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine, or BF₃ · OEt₂ was used as a catalyst. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectra revealed the formation of cyclic oligoesters and polyesters by backbiting degradation. Monomer mixtures containing an excess of TMC yielded copoly(ester carbonate)s with number-average molecular weights up to 16,000 Da. Analogous copoly(ester carbonate)s were obtained from TMC and 3,3′-tetramethylene glutaric anhydride. Furthermore, combined polycondensation/ring-opening polymerization reactions of TMC and GA with L-lactide or ϵ-caprolactone were studied. All copolymers were characterized by viscosity measurements and by IR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4357–4367, 2002