Formation of epoxide-amine oligo-adducts as OH-functionalized initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone

Epoxide-amine oligo-adducts were synthesized via a one-pot microwave assisted heterogeneous catalytic transfer hydrogenation. Accordingly, 4-nitroanisole was reduced under microwave conditions to give 4-aminoanisole which reacted immediately with the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A in an addition polymerization reaction to yield oligo(amino alcohol)s. The hydroxy groups of the new formed oligomers were used as the initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to produce a graft copolymer.