Issue 34, 2014

Crystallization of poly(butylene-2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene adipate) copolymers: regulating crystal modification of the polymorphic parent homopolymers and biodegradation

Abstract

A series of poly(butylene-2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene adipate) (PBNAd) copolymers were synthesized by the polycondensation method. 1H-NMR results showed that the copolymers were random and the naphthalene/adipate ratios are close to the feeding ratios. The copolyesters showed isodimorphic cocrystallization. The degree of crystallinity decreased with increasing comonomer content. Slight variations in the interplanar spacings were observed, indicating cocrystallization. Intriguing morphologies were observed by using polarized light microscopy (PLM). β-crystals of poly(butylene-2,6-naphthalate) (PBN) and large dendrites were formed in copolymers with high BN content, especially for PBNAd 90.9/9.1. Thus, polymorphism of PBN was controlled by copolymerization. The thermodynamic analysis of cocrystallization showed limited incorporation of the minor comonomer in the crystals. The adipate units can be incorporated more easily in the PBN crystal than the bulkier naphthalate units in the poly(butylene adipate) (PBAd) crystal. The enzymatic degradation was retarded with increasing butylene naphthalate content in the copolymers. PBNAd copolymers with more than 60 mol% did not hydrolyze.

Graphical abstract: Crystallization of poly(butylene-2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene adipate) copolymers: regulating crystal modification of the polymorphic parent homopolymers and biodegradation

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Mar 2014
Accepted
26 Jun 2014
First published
27 Jun 2014

CrystEngComm, 2014,16, 7963-7978

Author version available

Crystallization of poly(butylene-2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene adipate) copolymers: regulating crystal modification of the polymorphic parent homopolymers and biodegradation

G. Z. Papageorgiou, V. Tsanaktsis and D. N. Bikiaris, CrystEngComm, 2014, 16, 7963 DOI: 10.1039/C4CE00651H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements