Polyterephthalates of 2,3-disubstituted butanediols-1,4: Effect of aliphatic substituents on Tg and Tm of the polyesters

Poly(2,3-dialkylbutanediol-1,4 terephthalates) with the alkyl substituents CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₃H₇, iso-C₃H₇, n-C₄H₉, and n-C₁₀H₂₁, andn-C₁₆H₃₃ were synthesized from the corresponding 2,3-dialkylbutanediols-1,4 and dimethyl terephthalate or terephthaloyl chloride. The substituents of the butanediol-1,4 portion of the polyterephthalates influence the ¹³C NMR chemical shifts of the carbon atoms near the branching site, the glass transition (T_g), and the crystallizability. Small alkyl substituents do not change the T_g of the polymers, whereas bulky substituents such as the isopropyl group increase the T_g and long normal alkyl groups as substituents decrease the T_g of the polymers. Crystallinity in these polyterephthalates was found only with CH₃ and C₁₆H₃₃ as the 2,3-dialkyl substituents in the butanediol-1,4 portion of the polyester. This crystallinity of polyterephthalate of 2,3-di-C₁₆H₃₃ substituted butanediol-1,4 could be assigned to side-chain crystallization of the paraffinic groups.