In this work surface initiated ring-opening polymerization (SI-ROP) of ?-caprolactone on cellulose model surfaces was investigated using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The polymerization was performed with the monomer, ?-caprolactone, in bulk with an organic catalyst, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD), at room temperature with two different catalyst concentrations (0.5 mol% and 1 mol%). Initiation was done directly from the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose surface without any modification. A gold surface, which cannot initiate polymerization, was used as a reference surface which was connected in serial to the cellulose surface. This study shows that QCM is a viable technique to monitor SI-ROP of ?-caprolactone from cellulose surfaces. Grafting polymers from cellulose fibres/fibrils/whiskers has been an interesting way of increasing the compatibility between fibres/fibrils/whiskers and different matrices in biocomposites, and the QCM could therefore be an important tool to study and optimize the grafting of polymers, such as polycaprolactone (PCL), on cellulose surfaces.

Surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization of ?-caprolactone from cellulose model surfaces monitored by quartz crystal microbalance

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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