Molecules 2019, 24, 157
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filtrate was concentrated under vacuum. Ethyl acetate was added to the oily residue and the solution
was filtered again to remove trace potassium iodide/potassium bromide. The organic phase was
washed with 2 M aq. Na2S2O3 for 3 times and dried over MgSO4. After removing the solvent from
the filtrate, the product IV was obtained and used directly in the next step without purification (7.5 g,
82%). 1H-NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3):
δ 10.26 (s, 1H, -COOH), 7.50–7.16 (m, 5H, Ar-H), 5.39 (m, 1H,
-OCH2CH(COOH)O-), 4.84–4.41 (m, 3H, PhCH2O- and –OCCH(Br)CH3), 3.94 (dd, J = 48.3, 10.4 Hz,
2H, -OCH2CH-), 2.29–1.87 (m, 3H, -CH(I)CH3). IR: 2923, 1728, 1496, 1452, 1362, 1197, 1124, 1094, 1043,
1026, 977, 909, 737, 697, 633, 603, 582, 570, 563, 554, 548, 538, 529, 526 cm−1
.
4.5. Synthesis of 3-(benzyloxymethyl)-6-methyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione (Monomer 1)
Synthesized as described in literature [ ]. A solution of compound IV (10.0 g, 26.8 mmol) in
dry CH2Cl2 (100 mL) was added dropwise to refluxing dry acetone (1 L) containing DIEA (8.8 mL,
53.6 mmol) under Ar. It took 10 h to finish the addition and the reaction was refluxed for another
hour. The solvents were removed under reduced pressure and ether was added to dissolve the crude
product. Insoluble ammonium iodide was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated. After purification
by flash column chromatography using hexanes/ethyl acetate (v/v 4:1), the title compound
obtained as a yellow oil (2.1 g, 31%). The diastereomers were used directly without separation.
1H-NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): (SS)
7.34–7.26 (m, 5H, Ar H), 5.24–5.04 (2H; -OCCH(CH2O-)O- and
- OCCH(CH3)O-), 4.61–4.56 (2H; ArCH2O-), 3.97 (2H; -OCH2CH-), 1.63 (3H; -CHCH3). IR: 2993 (w,
1 was
δ
ν
s(aromatic C-H)), 2942 (w,
ν
as(-CH2- and –CH3)), 2872 (w,
νs(-CH2- and aliphatic -CH-)), 1748 (vs,
ν
s(ester C=O)), 1453 (m,
δ
s(-CH2-)), 1365 (w), 1268 (w), 1182 (s), 1084 (vs), 1046 (m), 865 (w), 739 (m,
ω(aromatic C-H)), 698 (m, τ(aromatic ring)) cm−1
.
4.6. Synthesis of PLA copolymer 3
Monomer 1 (1.0 g, 4.0 mmol), recrystallized L-lactide (2, 1.0 g, 6.9 mmol) and Sn(Oct)2 (10 mg in
1 mL anhydrous toluene) were added into a 5-mL round-bottom flask. The mixture was heated to
70 ◦C under vacuum for 1 h. Ar was filled in the flask and the temperature was increased to 140 ◦C.
The mixture was stirred until the stir bar stopped moving. After cooling to room temperature, the solid
was dissolved in CH2Cl2 and hexanes was added. The precipitate was re-dissolved in CH2Cl2, and
this dissolution/precipitation was repeated three times, and the precipitate was finally dried under
vacuum to give copolymer 1c as a dark brown solid (1.48 g, 74%). 1H-NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3)
δ
5.20 (-OCH2CH(COOH)O- and -OCH(CH3)CO-), 4.59 (PhCH2O-), 3.90 (-OCH2CH-), 1.56 (-CHCH3).
IR (ATR) 2942, 1747, 1497, 1452, 1365, 1192, 1084, 1046, 865, 739, 698 cm−1
.
4.7. Synthesis of PLA copolymer 4
Following literature synthesis [47]. Copolymer
3 (1.0 g) was dissolved in 50 mL ethyl
acetate/methanol (3:1), and catalytic amount of Pd/C was added. The mixture was purged with Ar for
20 min and filled with H2 under vigorous stirring. After 12 h, the solution was passed through a pile of
Celite to remove Pd/C and the filtrate was dried under vacuum to give copolymer
4 as a light brown
1
solid (630 mg, 63%). H-NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3):
δ 5.0–5.5 (-OCH(CH2OH)CO- and -OCH(CH3)CO-),
3.78 (HOCH2CH-), 1.49 (-CHCH3). IR (ATR): ~3500 (br, w), 2995 (m), 2945 (m), 1744 (s), 1452 (m), 1380
(w), 1182 (s), 1129 (s), 1084 (s), 864 (m), 743 (m) cm−1
.
4.8. Synthesis of PFPA-grafted PLA copolymer 5
Copolymer
4 (100 mg) and PFPA-COOH (20 mg, 0.09 mmol) were added together with DCC
(41 mg, 0.2 mmol) and DMAP (2.4 mg, 0.02 mmol) to 10 mL anhydrous dichloromethane under Ar,
and the mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight. The solution was then concentrated
to 3 mL and was poured into 50 mL of hexane/methanol (v/v 9:1) to precipitate the crude product.
The yellow precipitate was dissolved in dichloromethane and was precipitated in hexane/methanol.
This dissolution/ precipitation was repeated for a total of 3 times. Finally, the precipitate was