Chain scission by ultrasonication of polycaprolactone with different initial molecular weight and concentration
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2022
Abstract
Ultrasonication-mediated scission of three commercially available polycaprolactone (PCL) with different initial molecular weights (designated as low-, intermediate- and high-IMW PCL) was investigated. Each IMW PCL solution at different concentrations were subjected to sonication intervals. Scission-induced molecular size reduction, polydispersity index alteration, and a limiting molecular weight of the sonicated PCL samples depend on their initial molecular weight and effective concentration, whereby interaction forces play an important role. epsilon-caprolactone was identified post-scission event. It is hypothesized that a single scission event occurs at the upward/downward vicinity to the mid-point of the chain involving unzipping mechanism, driven by known forces associated with sonication energy dissipation. Further scission event of the generated fragment is no longer feasible below a limiting molecular weight for the designated IMW PCL.
Keywords
Polycaprolactone, Biodegradable polymer, Molecular weight, Polymer scission, Ultrasonication
Divisions
Science
Funders
Ministry of Education, Malaysia [Grant No: FP038-2020],Universiti Malaya [Grant No: UM.C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/05],Impact-Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Grant [Grant No: IIRG017A-2019]
Publication Title
Journal of Polymer Research
Volume
29
Issue
4
Publisher
Springer
Publisher Location
VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS