Effects of hyperbranched and linear architecture on properties of polymers composed of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) and hydroxycinnamic acid

Photoreactive and degradable polymers with linear and hyperbranched architectures which composed of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) and hydroxycinnamic acid or its substituted derivatives were synthesized by thermal melt-polycondensation. The chemical structures of the polymers were confirmed by FTIR and 1 H NMR measurements. The polymers showed good photoreactivities and fluorescent properties, and the hyperbranched polymers showed higher photoreactive speed and weaker fluorescence properties. These polymers had excellent thermal stabilities due to the rigid conjugated structures and the π-π strcking interaction of the cinnamoyl group, especially for the hyperbranched polymer. Moreover, the hydrolysis experiments and the XRD results revealed that the hyperbranched and linear polymers are amorphous and crystalline, respectively, and the degradation rate of amorphous polymers are faster than crystalline samples.