This paper described the synthesis of a new functional dioxanone monomer

5-benzyloxymethyl-1

4-dioxan-2-one（BDON）

and the yield of poly（5-hydroxy-methyl-1

4-dioxan-2-one）（HDON） was enhanced from 35% reported to 48%.We also studied on its ring-opening polymerization in bulk using Sn（Oct）2

Al（OiPr）3 or Al（OiBu）3 as an initiator.The polymer was obtained with a molecular weight of 19 200.The influence of reaction conditions

such as polymerization temperature

time

initiator and initiator concentration on the monomer conversion

and molecular weight have been investigated.The protecting benzyl group was removed subsequently by catalytic hydrogenation to give poly（5-hydroxymethyl-1

4-dioxan-2-one）（PHDON） with pendant hydroxyl groups.The polymers obtained were characterized by FTIR

1H NMR

13C NMR and GPC.In vitro degradation rates of the three polymers PHDON

PBDON and PDON under different conditions were also investigated.Several copolymers P（BDON-co-DON）s were also synthesized.