Here
we present a series of copolyesters of poly(butylene terephthalate)
(PBT) with the renewable building block isosorbide (1,4:3,6-dianhydro-d-glucitol, IS), designated PBIT. The aim of this work is to
systematically elucidate how the inherent properties (reactivity,
structural asymmetry, structural rigidity, and hydrophilicity) of
IS would affect the synthesis and thermal/(bio)degradable performance
of PBIT copolyesters. The target copolyesters containing 0–50
mol % IS units were successfully synthesized by melt polycondensation
and were afforded in fully random microsequential structures. Their
number-average molecular weights and intrinsic viscosities are in
the ranges of 22 400–31 000 g/mol and 0.5–0.65
dL/g, respectively. The thermal properties determined by differential
scanning calorimetric analysis firmly confirmed the remarkable T
g-enhancing effect of IS. Comprehensive degradation
study further revealed that IS incorporation promotes remarkable hydrolytic
degradation in a relatively harsh acidic environment at high temperature
(80 °C), but maintains excellent stability in a neutral hydrolytic
and enzymatic environment (with porcine pancreatic lipase) at low
temperature (37 °C). The synergistic effects of IS incorporation
on thermal properties and degradability are dependent on degrading
conditions. The results shown in this work are expected to give some
insights regarding property improvement of the existing semiaromatic
polyesters via copolymerization, as well as consideration of suitable
working conditions for these polymers.
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