Bio-based polyesters from cyclic monomers derived from carbohydrates

Resumen

Polyesters are extremely versatile polymers which can be used in a wide variety of applications ranging from high performance materials to recyclable and degradable polymers. The preparation of polyesters from renewable feedstock is currently receiving increasing attention in both industrial and academic research. This Thesis is specifically addressed to the development of aliphatic and aromatic polyesters with enhanced properties made from carbohydrate-based cyclic acetalized monomers, i.e. a bicyclic acetalized aldaric acid derived from D-galactose, bicyclic acetalized alditols derived from D-galactose and D-mannose, and a cyclic acetalized alditol derived from L-tartaric acid. The novel aliphatic polyesters derived from bicyclic acetalized galactaric acid and D-mannitol, which are biodegradable materials, are distinguished by presenting an enhanced rigidity compared to the aliphatic polyesters commonly used so far, which invariably influences their whole thermal and mechanical behavior. Bicyclic acetalized carbohydrate-based compounds are also used as comonomers in the preparation of random poly(alkylene terephthalate) copolyesters by melt polycondensation (MP). Since linear a,¿-alkanediols with varying length are employed, and the copolymerizations with bicyclic monomers are carried out for a wide range of compositions, a detailed structure-properties study is described. The effect of the presence of the carbohydrate-based comonomer on thermal and mechanical properties of the polyester is largely dependant on which unit, the diol or the diacid, is replaced. The incorporation of acetalized alditols increases the thermal stability, the glass-transition temperature and the mechanical modulus. On the contrary, these parameters are diminished when the terephthalate units are replaced by bicyclic acetalized galactaric acid. Also the hydrolytic and enzymatic degradability depends on the units introduced into the polyester backbone. The incorporation of cyclic acetalized carbohydrate-based alditols into the amorphous phase of poly(butylene terephthalate) by the solid-state modification (SSM) technique is reported, which leads to increases in glass-transition temperature. The resulting SSM-prepared copolyesters have a unique block-like chemical microstructure that endows them with superior thermal properties when compared to their random counterparts obtained by MP. Given the structural proximity between isosorbide and bicyclic acetalized alditols, as well as their common potential use as polycondensation monomers, a comparative evaluation of their suitability for the synthesis of aromatic polyesters is carried out in this Thesis. The greater facility of bicyclic acetalized alditols compared to isosorbide to react under the conditions employed is highlighted. Also the influence of the symmetry and stiffness of the bicyclic structure on the thermal behavior of the copolyesters is discussed.