KR-20260064131-A - POLYMER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE POLYMER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel polymer synthesis method capable of precisely controlling the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of a polymer using degradable functional groups. The polymer of the present invention is degradable, and polymers having various molecular weights and degrees of dispersion can be produced by controlling the composition of the polymerization units. The present invention also provides a method for producing said polymer, which includes the step of forming a parent polymer (MP) through living polymerization of monomers and degrading it to produce a daughter polymer (DP). In particular, the present invention allows for precise control of the polymer structure and degree of dispersion by controlling the rate and method of monomer addition. The polymer of the present invention can be utilized for various applications, such as polymer control in industrial processes and drug delivery systems.

Inventors

• 김철재

Assignees

• 충북대학교 산학협력단

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241031

Claims (9)

1. Polymer comprising a polymerization unit of the following chemical formula 1: [Chemical Formula 1] In the above chemical formula 1, X is CH 2 or O.
2. As a method for manufacturing a polymer, A first step of preparing solution A containing a compound of the following chemical formula 2 and solution B containing a compound of the following chemical formula 3; [Chemical Formula 2] [Chemical Formula 3] A second step of living polymerizing the compound of Formula 2 and the compound of Formula 3 to form a matrix polymer (MP) comprising a polymerization unit of Formula 1; and A method for manufacturing a polymer, comprising: a third step of generating a daughter polymer (DP) by decomposing the parent polymer; [Chemical Formula 1] In the above chemical formula 1, X is CH 2 or O.
3. In paragraph 1, A method for producing a polymer, wherein the above living polymerization is carried out in the presence of a Grubbs third-generation catalyst, and the catalyst is used to live polymerize compounds of Formulas 2 and 3 in the range of 10 moles to 100 moles per mole.
4. In paragraph 1, A method for preparing a polymer, wherein the above living polymerization is carried out by adding solution A and solution B to a solution containing a catalyst.
5. In paragraph 2, A method for manufacturing a polymer, comprising the step of adjusting the addition rates of solution A and solution B according to the desired polymer.
6. In paragraph 2, A polymer preparation method in which the above addition is performed by one of the methods for adding solution A and solution B according to the desired polymer, selected from the following: A method of mixing the above solution A and solution B and adding them through a single path; and A method of adding the above solution A and solution B through different paths.
7. In paragraph 2, A method for manufacturing a polymer, wherein the third step above is performed using tetrahydrofuran (THF).
8. In paragraph 2, A method for manufacturing a polymer, wherein the second step is performed at a temperature in the range of -10°C to 40°C.
9. In paragraph 2, A method for manufacturing a polymer in which the dispersion (Ð) of the above DP is 1.00 to 2.00.

Description

Method for Controlling Molecular Weight and Distribution of Polymer Using Degradability {POLYMER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE POLYMER} The present invention relates to a method for controlling the molecular weight and distribution of a polymer using degradability. Polymers are widely used in various industrial and medical applications, and recently, research on environmentally friendly biodegradable polymers has been actively underway. In particular, polymers with controllable molecular weight distribution (MWD) can play an important role in diverse applications as their physical and chemical properties can be adjusted. The physical properties of polymer materials depend significantly on their molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. High-molecular-weight polymers possess excellent mechanical strength and heat resistance but have the disadvantage of poor processability, while low-molecular-weight polymers offer superior processability but lack physical strength. Therefore, synthesis technology capable of precisely controlling molecular weight and molecular weight distribution according to the polymer's application is required. Conventional methods for controlling MWD include polymer blending, catalyst concentration control, and initiator reaction control. Polymer blending involves mixing various pre-synthesized polymers to obtain a desired molecular weight distribution. However, this method requires complex processes and has the disadvantage that MWD cannot be controlled through single polymerization reactions. Additionally, methods involving changes in catalyst concentration are highly sensitive to reaction conditions, making it difficult to precisely control the desired molecular weight distribution and potentially resulting in non-uniform polymer structures. In particular, while methods using initiators play a crucial role in controlling molecular weight distribution, there are issues such as initiators being easily deactivated in air or exhibiting reduced reactivity at room temperature. This makes it difficult to stably control the polymerization reaction, consequently making it challenging to achieve the desired molecular weight and dispersion. Furthermore, reducing the molecular weight of polymers typically requires a large amount of initiator. Since initiators are expensive chemicals, using them in large quantities is economically inefficient. Consequently, there is a growing need for new technologies that can control molecular weight and MWD in a cost-effective manner. While existing technologies can be successful in controlling the width of molecular weight distributions, they have limitations in precisely controlling the shape of such distributions. These issues impose significant constraints on optimizing the physical properties and processability of polymer materials, and existing methods entail more complex multi-step processes and increased costs. Against this backdrop, research is actively underway to develop more precise and cost-effective MWD control technology, and this invention aims to present a new method to overcome the limitations of these existing technologies. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the formation and decomposition of a polymer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a figure illustrating the steps for producing a polymer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a graph showing (a) GPC results and (b) the distribution of molecular weight (Mn) according to the ratio of monomers 1 and 2 of MP produced by varying the ratio of monomer 1 and monomer 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a graph showing (a) the GPC results of MP produced by varying the addition rates of monomer 1 and monomer 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) and (c) the GPC results of MP produced by varying the concentrations of monomer 1 and 2. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the GPC results of MP produced by controlling the monomer supply rate according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing (a) a monomer supply method according to one embodiment of the present invention and (b), (c), and (d) graphs showing the GPC results of MP produced by controlling the monomer supply amount and method. Hereinafter, specific details for implementing the present invention will be described in detail. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a polymer. A polymer unit of a specific structure of one embodiment of the present invention can be decomposed and additional functional groups can be easily introduced. The polymer may include a polymer unit of the following chemical formula 1: [Chemical Formula 1] In the above chemical formula 1, X can be CH2 or O. In the case where X in the above chemical formula 1 is CH2 , it does not contain an N,O-acetal moiety and may be non-degradable. In the case where X is O in the above chemical formula 1, the polymeriz