Hydrogels based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are suitable materials for numerous biomedical applications. Among the different ways to design such hydrogels, homopolymerization of bifunctional PEO macromonomers represents a promising approach. The present work discusses the extension of this crosslinking procedure to prepare degradable hydrogels. Poly(1,3‐dioxolane) (PDXL) hydrogels were synthesized directly in water (or in organic solvents) by free‐radical homopolymerization of α,ω‐methacryloyloxy PDXL macromonomers. They were investigated as gels swollen to equilibrium in THF CH2Cl2 or in water. In each case, the amount of extractable material, the extent of equilibrium swelling and the uniaxial compression modulus were determined. Nethertheless, PDXL chains contain acetal groups sensitive to acidic degradation. Hydrogels constituted of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains containing a short central PDXL block were obtained from α,ω‐methacryloyloxy PEO‐block‐1,3‐PDXL‐block‐PEO macromonomers. The variation of the mechanical properties of pure PDXL networks, when placed in acidic media, was followed by uniaxial compression modulus measurements.© 2002 Society of Chemical Industry

Abstract. Rapid synthesis of poly[(pyrrole-2,5-diyl)-co-(benzylidene)] was achieved under microwave irradiation via the condensation of pyrrole and benzaldehyde in 1,2-dichloroethane using acid exchanged montmorillonite clay called Maghnite-H + (Mag-H + ) as an efficient catalyst. The effect of the amount of catalyst and of time on the polymerization yield and on the viscosity of the polymers was studied. Compared with conventional static interfacial polymerization, the microwaveradiation polymerization reaction proceeded rapidly and was completed within 35 s. The conjugated polymer was characterized by means of 1 H-NMR, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and AFM. The X-ray data showed the presence of a backbone form of the [(pyrrole-2,5-diyl)-co-(benzylidene)] formed.

Copolymers (polyoxymethylene) were prepared by cationic copolymerization of 1,3,5‐trioxane (TOX) with 1,3‐dioxolane (DOX) in the presence of Maghnite‐H+ (Mag‐H+) in solution. Maghnite is a Montmorillonite sheet silicate clay, with exchanged protons to produce Mag‐H+. Various techniques, including 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, FT‐IR spectroscopy, and Ubbelohde viscometer were used to elucidate structural characteristics properties of the resulting copolymers. The influence of the amount of catalyst, of dioxolane (DOX), temperature, solvent, and time of copolymerization on yield and on intrinsic viscosity of copolymers was studied. The yield of copolymerization depends on the amount of Mag‐H+ used and the reaction time. We also propose mechanisms involved in the synthesis of copolymer (polyoxymethylene). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010