Polymer synthesis from macrocycles

1. A method to prepare a polymer comprising carrying out ring-opening polymerization of one or more compounds of formula II:

wherein n is 0 to about 30, in the presence of an effective catalyst, to provide one or more polymers of formula I:

wherein m is about 10 to about 2500.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein n is 1 to about 10.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein m is about 20 to about 1000.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one terminal group of the polymer comprises an alkoxy group.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second terminal group of the polymer comprises a hydroxyl group or an acryloyl group.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer of formula I comprises a polymer of formula III or IV:

wherein each R is independently hydrogen or alkyl.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein polymers of formulas III and IV:

are both produced.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the ratio of the polymer of formula III to the polymer of formula IV is about 1:10 to about 10:1.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises an organometallic complex.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a coordination complex of a transition metal and at least one organic group.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a zinc alkoxide complex.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a compound of formula V:

wherein each R is independently hydrogen or alkyl.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein catalyst comprises a compound of formula VI:

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity index of about it 1 about 3.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is carried out in the presence of a solvent.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the solvent is a chlorinated solvent.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is carried out in the absence of a solvent.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is carried out at about 20° C. to about 30° C.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymerization is carried out at about 25° C. to about 200° C.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial concentration of the compound of formula (II) is about 0.1 M to about 6.0 M.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial concentration of the catalyst is about 1 M to about 10 −5 M.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound of formula II is prepared from an aqueous solution of 3-hydroxypropionic acid.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the 3-hydroxypropionic acid is about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of the aqueous solution.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the compound of formula II is prepared by acid-catalyzed self-condensation of the 3-hydroxypropionic acid.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the condensation is carried out in a solvent system that comprises an aromatic solvent.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the acid comprises a sulfonic acid.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein more than one ring size of the compound of formula II is formed.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein water is removed from the reaction mixture of the condensation reaction.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein one or more compounds of formula II are isolated prior to polymerization.

30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising isolating the polymer of formula I.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the isolation comprises precipitating the polymer from a reaction mixture.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the precipitation comprises adding a solvent system to the reaction mixture.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the solvent system comprises a cyclic ether and a saturated (C 5 -C 10 )hydrocarbon.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a number average molecular weight of about 1 kg/mol to about 200 kg/mol.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer is semicrystalline as determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature of about 20° C. to about 30° C.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a melting temperature of about 60° C. to about 80° C.

38. The method of claim 6 , further comprising reacting the olefin moiety of the terminal acrylate group of the polymer of formula IV with an oxidizing agent.

39. The method of claim 6 , further comprising reacting the olefin moiety of the terminal acrylate group of the polymer of formula IV with a second polymer.

40. The method of claim 6 , further comprising reacting the olefin moiety of the terminal acrylate group with a monomer.

41. The method of claim 6 , further comprising polymerizing the polymer of formula IV to provide one or more graft polymers.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the polymerization of the polymer of formula IV is carried out under free radical conditions.

43. A method to prepare a polymer comprising condensing 3-hydroxypropionic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst to provide one or more compounds of formula II:

wherein n is 0 to about 30; and

carrying out ring-opening polymerization of the one or more compounds of formula II in the presence of an effective catalyst, to provide one or more polymers of formula I:

wherein m is about 10 to about 2500.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the catalyst comprises a compound of formula V:

wherein each R is independently hydrogen or alkyl.

45. A method to prepare a polymer comprising carrying out ring-opening polymerization of one or more compounds of formula VII:

wherein

n is 0 to about 30;

p is 1 to 5; and

the polymerization is carried out in the presence of an effective catalyst to provide one or more polymers of formula VIII:

wherein m is about 10 to about 2500.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the polymer comprises 2-hydroxyacetic acid units, 3-hydroxypropionic acid units, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid units, 5-hydroxypentanoic acid units, 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid units, or a combination thereof.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein the catalyst comprises a compound of formula V:

wherein each R is independently hydrogen or alkyl.