Synthesis and characterization of novel biodegradable copolyesters by transreaction of poly(ethylene terephthalate) with copoly(succinic anhydride/ethylene oxide)

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/copoly(succinic anhydride/ethylene oxide) copolymers, (PET/PES copolymers) were synthesized by the transreaction between PET and PES and characterized with GPC, ¹H NMR, and DSC. Most of the copolymers obtained were random copolymers. The films cast of these copolymers were transparent. The thermal, mechanical properties, and biodegradability of the copolymers obtained were studied with respect to the composition and lengths of aliphatic and aromatic units in the copolymers. In the copolymers having high PET content, the melting points, due to the PET segment, were observed by DSC measurement, although the fusion heats of the copolymers were small. The enzymatic hydrolyzability by a lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus and biodegradability by activated sludge of the copolymers decreased with an increase in PET content. When the length of succinic acid unit in the copolymer was below 2, the hydrolyzability of the copolymers decreased considerably. The tensile strengths of the cast films prepared from the copolymers synthesized by the transreaction increased with an increase in PET content, whereas, the elongations at break decreased. Their tensile strengths were half, and the elongations were double compared to those of PET homopolymer film. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4478–4489, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of thermoplastic copolyesters containing copolymerized azoic dyes

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) and a series of other amorphous copolyesters based on ethylene glycol and terephthalic/isophthalic or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic/isophthalic acid mixtures were prepared by melt polycondensation. Comonomers consisting of azoic dyes having two polymerizable functions on the aromatic rings (either one alcoholic and one carbomethoxyl, two alcoholic or two carbomethoxyl groups) were also added, in amounts lower than 1% mol with respect to the sum of diesters used as starting monomers. In these conditions (P<0.1 torr and T=280°C), only few azoic dyes were found to be stable. Among the prepared polymers, those based on dyes having sufficient thermal stability were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and solution properties. Inherent viscosities suggest that molecular weights are high. Glass transition and melting temperatures as well as mechanical properties of colored polyesters are not affected by the presence of the azoic comonomers. UV–visible spectra of copolyester solutions were registered, and absorption coefficients were correlated with the amount of dye.     

Novel copolyesters containing naphthalene structure. II. Copolyesters prepared from 2,6-dimethyl naphthalate, 1,4-dimethyl terephthalate,and ethylene glycol

Copolyesters containing rigid segments (naphthalene and terephthalene) and flexible seg-ments (aliphatic diol) structure were synthesized from DMN/DMT/EG (2,6-dimethyl naphthalate/1,4-dimethyl terephthalate/ethylene glycol) ternary monomers with various mole ratios. Copolyesters having intrinsic viscosities of 0.52–0.65 dL/g were obtained by melt polycondensation in the presence of metallic catalysts. The effect of reaction tem-perature and time on the formation of the copolyesters was investigated to obtain an op-timum condition for copolyester manufacturing. The optimum condition for PNT (poly-ethylene naphthalate terephthalate) copolyester manufacturing is the transesterification under nitrogen atmosphere for 4 h at a temperature of 185±2°C followed by polymerization under 2 mm Hg for 2 h at a temperature of 280°C. Most copolyesters have better solubilities than poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in various solvents. The effect of the starting mole ratio of DMN, DMT, and EG on the thermal properties of the resulted copolyesters was also investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Glass transition temperatures of copolyesters were in the range of 70.7–115.2°C, and 10% weight loss in nitrogen were all above 426°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis and characterization of biodegradable block copolyesters based on poly(3‐hydroxyalkanoate)s and poly(D,L‐lactide)

Microwave (MW)‐assisted ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) provides a rapid and straightforward method for engineering a wide array of well‐defined poly(3‐hydroxyalkanoate)‐b‐poly(D,L ‐lactide) (PHA‐b‐PLA) diblock copolymers. On MW irradiation, the bulk ROP of D,L ‐lactide (LA) could be efficiently triggered by a series of monohydroxylated PHA‐based macroinitiators previously produced via acid‐catalyzed methanolysis of corresponding native PHAs, thus affording diblock copolyesters with tunable compositions. The dependence of LA polymerization on temperature, macroinitiator structure, irradiation time, and [LA]₀/[PHA]₀ molar ratio was carefully investigated. It turned out that initiator efficiency values close to 1 associated with conversions ranging from 50 to 85% were obtained only after 5 min at 115 °C. A kinetic investigation of the MW‐assisted ROP of LA gave evidence of its “living”/controlled character under the experimental conditions selected. Structural analyses and thermal properties of biodegradable diblock copolyesters were also performed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units. I. Synthesis and characterization

Poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐5‐nitroisophthalate) copolymers, abbreviated as PETNI, were synthesized via a two‐step melt copolycondensation of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) 5‐nitroisophthalate mixtures with molar ratios of these two comonomers varying from 95/5 to 50/50. Polymerization reactions were carried out at temperatures between 200 and 270 °C in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. The copolyesters were characterized by solution viscosity, GPC, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. They were found to be random copolymers and to have a comonomer composition in accordance with that used in the corresponding feed. The copolyesters became less crystalline and showed a steady decay in the melting temperature as the content in 5‐nitroisophthalic units increased. They all showed glass‐transition temperatures superior to that of PET with the maximum value at 85 °C being observed for the 50/50 composition. PETNI copolyesters appeared stable up to 300 °C and thermal degradation was found to occur in two well‐differentiated steps. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1934–1942, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of multiblock copolyesters containing poly(dimethylsiloxane) in the soft segments

Synthesis and thermal properties of poly(aliphatic/aromatic-ester) copolymers containing additionally poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) chains in the soft segments are discussed. A two step method of transesterification and polycondensation from the melt was carried out in a presence of magnesium-titanate catalyst. An aliphatic dimer fatty acid was used as a component of the soft segments while poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) constituted the hard blocks. Effectiveness of the incorporation of PDMS into polymer chain was confirmed by the Soxhlet extraction and infrared spectroscopy of an excess of 1,4-butane diol destilled off from the polycondensation reaction. Multiblock copolymers showed microphase separation as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Incorporation of a small amount of PDMS (up to 14.5 wt.-%) into polymer chain containg low concentration of hard segments of PBT lead to decrease in crystallinity of such copolymers. This may indicate that semicrystalline PBT are dissolved in the amorphous matrix of the soft segments.     

Random multiblock poly(ester amide)s containing poly(L‐lactide) and cycloaliphatic amide segments: Synthesis and biodegradation studies

Novel multiblock poly(ester amide)s containing poly(L ‐lactide) and cycloaliphatic amide segments were synthesized from telechelic oligomer of α,ω‐hydroxyl terminated poly(L ‐lactide), 1,3‐cyclohexylbis(methylamine), and sebacoylchloride by the “two‐step” interfacial polycondensation method. The blocky nature of PEAs was established by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. The effect of relative content of ester and amide segments on the crystallization nature of PEAs was investigated by WAXD and DSC analyses. PEAs having lower content of PLLA, PEA 1 and PEA 2, showed a crystallization pattern analogous to polyamides, whereas PEA 3, having higher content of PLLA, showed two crystalline phases characterized by polyester and polyamide segments. Random nature of PEAs was observed from single T_g values. Biodegradation studies using the enzyme lipase from Candida Cylindracea showed higher degradation rate for PEA 3 than that for PEA 1 and PEA 2. FTIR, ¹H NMR, and DSC analyses of the degraded products indicated the involvement of ester linkages in the degradation process. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3250–3260, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of a family of biodegradable poly(ester amide)s derived from glycine

A series of aliphatic poly(ester amide)s derived from 1,6-hexanediol, glycine, and diacids with a variable number of methylenes (from 2 to 8) have been synthesized and characterized. Infrared spectroscopy shows that the studied polymers present a unique kind of hydrogen bond that is established between their amide groups. Thermal properties as melting, glass transition, and decomposition temperatures are reported. The data indicate that all the polymers are highly crystalline. Thus, different kinds of spherulites (positive and/or negative) were obtained depending on the preparation conditions and on the polymer samples. Moreover, all the polymers crystallized from dilute diol solutions as ribbonlike crystals where a regular folding habit and a single hydrogen bond direction could be deduced. A test of enzymatic hydrolysis was employed to assess the potential biodegradability of these polymers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1271–1282, 1998     

癸二酸己二醇酯/己二酸二醇酯共聚物的合成及热性能

癸二酸己二醇酯/己二酸二醇酯共聚物的合成及热性能;直接聚合;可降解聚合物     

Linear and four‐armed poly(l‐lactide)‐block‐poly(d‐lactide) copolymers and their stereocomplexation with poly(lactide)s

Linear and four‐armed poly(l ‐lactide)‐block‐poly(d ‐lactide) (PLLA‐b‐PDLA) block copolymers are synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of d ‐lactide on the end hydroxyl of linear and four‐armed PLLA prepolymers. DSC results indicate that the melting temperature and melting enthalpies of poly (lactide) stereocomplex in the copolymers are obviously lower than corresponding linear and four‐armed PLLA/PDLA blends. Compared with the four‐armed PLLA‐b‐PDLA copolymer, the similar linear PLLA‐b‐PDLA shows higher melting temperature (212.3 °C) and larger melting enthalpy (70.6 J g^?1). After these copolymers blend with additional neat PLAs, DSC, and WAXD results show that the stereocomplex formation between free PLA molecular chain and enantiomeric PLA block is the major stereocomplex formation. In the linear copolymer/linear PLA blends, the stereocomplex crystallites (sc) as well as homochiral crystallites (hc) form in the copolymer/PLA cast films. However, in the four‐armed copolymer/linear PLA blends, both sc and hc develop in the four‐armed PLLA‐b‐PDLA/PDLA specimen, which means that the stereocomplexation mainly forms between free PDLA molecule and the inside PLLA block, and the outside PDLA block could form some microcrystallites. Although the melting enthalpies of stereocomplexes in the blends are smaller than that of neat copolymers, only two‐thirds of the molecular chains participate in the stereocomplex formation, and the crystallization efficiency strengthens. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1560–1567     

New polymer syntheses. CIX. Biodegradable,alternating copolyesters of terephthalic acid,aliphatic dicarboxylic acids,and alkane diols

Copolyesters with an alternating sequence of terephthalic acid and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids were prepared with three different methods. First, dicarboxylic acid dichlorides were reacted with bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)terephthalate (BHET) in refluxing 1,2‐dichlorobenzene. Second, the same monomers were polycondensed at 0–20 °C in the presence of pyridine. Third, dicarboxylic acid dichlorides and silylated BHET were polycondensed in bulk. Only this third method gave satisfactory molecular weights. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry revealed that the copolyesters prepared by the pyridine and silyl methods might have contained considerable fractions of cyclic oligoesters and polyesters despite the absence of transesterification and backbiting processes. The alternating sequences and thermal properties were characterized with ¹H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry measurements, respectively. In agreement with the alternating sequence, all copolyesters proved to be crystalline, but the crystallization was extremely slow [slower than that of poly(ethylene terephthalate)]. A second series of alternating copolyesters was prepared by the polycondensation of silylated bis(4‐hydroxybut‐ yl)terephthalate with various aliphatic dicarboxylic acid dichlorides. The resulting copolyesters showed significantly higher rates of crystallization, and the melting temperatures were higher than those of the BHET‐based copolyesters. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3371–3382, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of functional aliphatic copolyesters

Functional aliphatic copolyesters of succinic acid (SA) and citric acid (CA) were synthesized via direct copolycondensation in the presence of 1,4‐butanediol, with titanium(IV) butoxide as a catalyst. The effects of the comonomer and comonomer ratio on the polycondensation and the melting and glass‐transition temperatures were investigated. The melting temperature was very sensitive to the molar ratio of the SA–CA comonomer units. The chain extension of this poly(butylene succinate citrate) was carried out with hexamethylene diisocyanate. The intrinsic viscosity, crystallinity percentage, and rheological properties of these copolyesters were also studied. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3232–3239, 2002     

Highly biodegradable copolymers composed of chiral depsipeptide and L‐lactide units with favorable physical properties

Syntheses of copolymers composed of optically active depsipeptides (3,6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione) and L ‐lactide—poly(L ‐3,L ‐6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione‐co‐L ‐lactide), poly(L ‐3,DL ‐6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione‐co‐L ‐lactide), and poly(L ‐3,D ‐6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione‐co‐L ‐lactide)—were examined in an effort to improve the biodegradability and physical properties of homopoly(L ‐lactide). In degradation tests, the copolymers composed of 3,6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione and lactide in the ratios 10/90 to 13/87 exhibited high biodegradability toward proteinase K, whereas a homopolymer, poly(L ‐lactide), exhibited very poor biodegradability (only 50% after 200 h). These polymers composed of 3,6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione/L ‐lactide in 11/89 to 13/87 ratios also degrades rapidly after being in compost for 30 days. The resulting copolymers, however, showed relatively low elongation properties. Therefore, ternary copolymerizations of L ‐3,DL ‐6‐dimethyl‐2,5‐morphorinedione, ?‐caprolactone, and L ‐lactide were explored in an effort to improve their mechanical properties, especially the elongation, and sufficient results were obtained with an approximate ratio of 3/11/86. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 302–316, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable aliphatic copolyesters with poly(ethylene oxide) soft segments

A series of multiblock poly(ether-ester)s based on poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) as the hard segments and hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the soft segments was synthesized with the aim of developing degradable polymers which could combine the mechanical properties of high performance elastomers with those of flexible plastics. The aliphatic poly(ether-ester)s were synthesized by the catalyzed two-step transesterification reaction of dimethyl succinate, 1,4-butanediol and α,ω-hydroxyl terminated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO, = 1000 g/mol) in bulk. The content of soft PEO segments in the polymer chains was varied from about 10 to 50 mass%. The effect of the introduction of the soft PEO segments on the structure, thermal and physical properties, as well as on the biodegradation properties was investigated. The composition and structure of these aliphatic segmented copolyesters were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights of the polyesters were verified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), as well as by viscometry of dilute solutions and polymer melts. The thermal properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The degree of crystallinity was determined by means of DSC and wide-angle X-ray scattering. A depression of melting temperature and a reduction of crystallinity of the hard segments with increasing content of PEO segments were observed. Biodegradation of the synthesized copolyesters, estimated in enzymatic degradation tests in phosphate buffer solution with Candida rugosa lipase at 37 °C was compared with hydrolytic degradation in the buffer solution. The weight losses of the samples were in the range from 2 to 10 mass%. GPC analysis confirmed that there were significant changes in molecular weight of copolyesters with higher content of PEO segments, up to 40% of initial values. This leads to conclusion that degradation mechanism of the poly(ether-ester)s based on PEO segments occurs through bulk degradation in addition to surface erosion.     

Synthesis and characterization of polytulipalin‐g‐polylactide copolymers

Graft copolymers of poly(tulipalin A) (PT) and poly(DL‐lactide) (PDLLA) (PT‐g‐PDLLA) having various graft lengths and ratios were synthesized by free‐radical copolymerization of α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone (MBL) and PDLLA macromonomers (HEMA‐PDLLA) terminated by 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)‐terminated. HEMA‐PDLLA were synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of DL‐lactide in the presence of HEMA. Both HEMA‐PDLLA and the copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal properties of the graft copolymers were found to depend on the graft length and the ratio. The copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of M_n = 500 Da showed a single T_g between T_gs of the two component polymers, suggesting a miscible state of PT and PDLLA. In contrast, the copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of M_n = 1100, 2000, and 7000 Da showed two isolated T_g, suggesting two segregated domains. The AFM phase images of the copolymers supported the single and phase‐separated morphologies for the former and latter systems, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units. I. Synthesis and characterization

The synthesis, microstructure, and thermal behavior of a series of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units are described. These novel copolyesters were synthesized by transesterification followed by melt copolycondensation of dimethyl terephthalate and dimethyl nitroterephthalate mixtures with ethylene glycol. The molar ratio of the two comonomers in the feed varied from 95/5 to 25/75. Furthermore, PET and poly(ethylene nitroterephthalate) homopolymers were synthesized with the same method and comparatively studied. Copolyester compositions were practically the same as in the feed, and weight‐average molecular weights ranged from 10,000 to 60,000. The two monomeric units were randomly distributed along the polymer chain, and the experimentally determined average sequence lengths were in accordance with ideal copolycondensation statistics. Melting temperatures and enthalpies of the copolyesters decreased with increasing content in nitroterephthalic units, and they all showed a single glass‐transition temperature superior to that of PET. They appeared to be stable up to 300 °C, and thermal degradation occurred in two well‐differentiated steps. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3761–3770, 2000     

Enzymatic and microbial biodegradability of poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing nitrated units

Enzymatic and microbial degradability of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and PET copolyesters containing 30 mol% of either 5-nitroisophthalic units (PET₇₀NI₃₀) or nitroterephthalic units (PET₇₀NT₃₀) was investigated in laboratory cultures. Two commercial fungal lipases, two bacteria from environmental isolates, and two collection filamentous fungi were tested. The topography of the polymer surface exposed to degradation was characterized by interferometry-confocal microscopy techniques. Biodegradation was estimated by optical and electron microscopy observation, and gel permeation chromatography. Evidence of biodegradation including roughness enhancement, swelling and decrease of the weight-average molecular weight, was only obtained for the case of PET₇₀NT₃₀ cultured with Aspergillus niger. Differences in surface textures were found to be crucial to determine the positive response of this copolyester to biodegradation.     

Study of the dielectric β-relaxation in poly(ethylene terephthalate) and ethylene isophthalate terephthalate copolyesters

The dielectric β-relaxation in poly(ethylene terephthalate) and ethylene isophthalate terephthalate copolyesters with various ethylene isophthalate contents was investigated over a wide range of frequencies. Isothermal spectra and normalized plots show that the dielectric β-relaxation is characterized by the molecular structure between the aromatic rings. The equilibrium polarizability of the motional segment, which was estimated from the dielectric increment obtained by the best fit of the Havriliak-Negami equation to the Cole-Cole plot, indicates that torsional vibrations of the main chain are correlated over a length corresponding to one monomer.