A cyclic ketene acetal
(CKA) derived from d-glucal
was
synthesized, and its polymerization using free radicals has been investigated.
NMR analysis of the resulting polymers revealed the formation of polyacetal–polyester
copolymers, with up to 78% of ester linkages formed by radical ring-opening
polymerization (rROP). Conversely, the polymerization of the monomer-saturated
analogue only produced acetal linkages, demonstrating that the alkene
functionality within the d-glucal pyranose ring is essential
to promote ring-opening and ester formation, likely via the stabilization
of an allyl radical. The thermal properties of the polymers were linked
to the ratio of the ester and acetal linkages. Copolymerization with
methyl methacrylate (MMA) afforded statistically PMMA-rich copolymers
(66–98%) with linkages prone to hydrolytic degradation and
decreased glass-transition temperatures. The retention of the pseudoglucal
alkene function offers opportunities to functionalize further these
bioderived (co)polymers.