Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 901 S. 14th Street, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA
Abstract:
Three polymers of pharmaceutical/medical relevance are synthesized: poly(glycidol) (PG), poly(glycidol)‐g‐L ‐lactide (PG‐g‐La), and poly(glycidol)‐g‐glycolide (PG‐g‐Gly). Because the thermal stability of these polymers is an essential factor of their processing and practical application, the study focuses on kinetic and mechanistic aspects of non‐oxidative thermal degradation. The study is conducted by combining thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and isoconversional kinetic analysis. It is found that PG degrades in a single mass loss step, whereas, PG‐g‐La and PG‐g‐Gly in two. It is demonstrated that the first step in degradation of PG‐g‐La and PG‐g‐Gly is associated with decomposition of the pendant groups and the second is due to degradation of the PG backbone.
