Synthesis and self-assembly of a diblock copolymer consisting of a cyclic olefin copolymer and polycaprolactone†

Abstract

The cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), a unique cyclic monomer-containing copolymer, is used in numerous modern technical applications. This paper reports the preparation of COC-block-polycaprolactone through a metallocene-catalyst mediated selective chain transfer pathway, which facilitates the generation of a functionalized COC end-capped with a hydroxyl group. Subsequently, living block copolymerization of ε-caprolactone using the hydroxyl-capped COC as a macroinitiator facilitated the synthesis of COC-block-polycaprolactone with excellent block length control. The resulting COC-block-polycaprolactone can self-organize into an ordered nanopattern, offering the potential application of the COC in the manufacture of ordered nanomaterials.