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The hydrolytic degradation process and degradation product patterns of biodegradable homo- and copolyesters of 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO) and ε-caprolactone (CL) were monitored by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The degradation product patterns were compared to mass loss, molecular weight changes, copolymer composition, and pH changes after various hydrolysis times. Water-soluble oligomers up to heptadecamer were identified after hydrolysis of hydrophilic PDXO, while only oligomers up to hexamer were detected after hydrolysis of the more hydrophobic PCL. The product pattern of DXO−CL−DXO triblock copolymer mainly consisted of DXO-based oligomers, whereas the CL/DXO multiblock copolymer degradation product pattern contained DXO and CL oligomers as well as oligomers containing both DXO and CL units. The DXO-rich oligomers, however, dominated the product patterns. ESI-MS gave valuable insights into the hydrolysis process of hydrophobic and hydrophilic polyesters and showed that hydrophilicity of the polymer as well as copolymer architecture both greatly influenced the water-soluble degradation product patterns.
Hakkarainen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.