Synthesis and characterization of polycaprolactone / poly(ethylene oxide) / polylactide tri-component copolymers

Polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene oxide)/polylactide tri-component copolymers (PCEL) with different compositions were synthesized by copolymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and L-lactide in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) using stannous octoate as a catalyst. The copolymers were purified and characterized by various analytical techniques such as GPC, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DSC, and X-ray diffractometry. It was evidenced that these copolymers were pure tri-component compounds which exhibited partially random chain structures, and possessed good mechanical properties and variable biodegradability.