Macromolecular Research, Vol.25, No.1, 54-62, January, 2017
Synthesis and Enzymatic Degradability of an Aliphatic/Aromatic Block Copolyester: Poly(butylene succinate)-multi-Poly(butylene terephthalate)
E-mail:,
A novel multi-block copolyester, poly(butylene succinate)-multi-poly(butylene terephthalate) (m-PBST), was synthesized by the melt/solid interfacial co-polycondensation of a melt-blend of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) that had been pre-formed. In this co-polycondensation, the reaction temperature was kept between the melting temperatures (Tm) of PBS and PBT so as for the low-melting PBS (melt) to be effectively connected with the high-melting PBT (solid). The succinate content and persistence ratio (r) of the resulting m-PBST were affected by the time of melt-blending of PBS and PBT where their chain-scrambling reaction was induced. The average block number per polymer chain became the largest (7.3) when the blending time was properly adjusted with a PBS to PBT ratio of 2:1. Owing to the block copolymer structure, m-PBST showed thermoplastic properties that should be intermediate between those of PBT and PBS and completely different from those of the corresponding PBS/PBT random copolymer. The enzymatic degradability of m-PBST was also confirmed by the use of Lipase PS® originated from Pseudomonas cepacia. Consequently, m-PBST ought to have potential applications as a new structural material with excellent soft/hard balance and toughness.
Keywords:poly(butylene succinate) (PBS);poly(butylene terephthalate);block copolymer;co-polycondensation
- Anastas PT, Williamson TC, Green Chemistry: Environmentally Benign Chemical Synthesis and Processes, Oxford Science Publications, 1998.
- Anastas PT, Warner JC, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, Oxford Science Publications, 1998.
- Amass W, Amass A, Tighe B, Polym. Int., 47, 89 (1998)
- Mohantya AK, Misraa M, Hinrichsen G, Macromol. Mater. Eng., 276/277, 1 (2000)
- Gross RA, Kalra B, Science, 297, 803 (2002)
- Sudesh K, Iwata T, Clean, 36, 433 (2008)
- Luckachan GE, Pillai CKS, J. Polym. Environ., 19, 637 (2011)
- Lee CW, Masutani K, Kimura Y, Polymer, 55, 5673 (2014)
- Zhu CY, Zhang ZQ, Liu QP, Wang ZP, Jin J, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 90(4), 982 (2003)
- Ahn BD, Kim SH, Kim YH, Yang JS, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 82(11), 2808 (2001)
- Lee SY, Biotechnol. Bioeng., 49(1), 1 (1996)
- Kricheldorf HR, Bornhorst K, Hachmann-Thiessen H, Macromolecules, 38(12), 5017 (2005)
- Ihn KJ, Yoo ES, Im SS, Macromolecules, 28(7), 2460 (1995)
- Velmathi S, Nagahata R, Sugiyama J, Takeuchi K, Macromol. Rapid Commun., 26(14), 1163 (2005)
- Herrera R, Franco L, Rodriguez-Galan A, Puiggali J, J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 40(23), 4141 (2002)
- Park SS, Chae SH, Im SS, J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 36(1), 147 (1998)
- Kim SW, Lim JC, Kim DJ, Seo KH, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 92(5), 3266 (2004)
- Kurian JV, J. Polym. Environ., 13, 159 (2005)
- Jacquel N, Saint-Loup R, Pascault JP, Rousseau A, Fenouillot F, Polymer, 59, 234 (2015)
- Doi Y, Steinbuchel A, in Biopolymers: Volume 4 Polyester III Applications and Commercial Products, 1st ed., Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 1998, p 299.
- Jacobs C, Dubois P, Jerome R, Teyssie P, Macromolecules, 24, 3027 (1991)
- Zeng JB, Li YD, Zhu QY, Yang KK, Wang XL, Wang YZ, Polymer, 50(5), 1178 (2009)
- Xu SY, Shi YH, Zhao JB, Jiang SL, Yang WT, Polym. Adv. Technol., 22, 2360 (2011)
- Chen HB, Wang XL, Zeng JB, Li LL, Dong FX, Wang YZ, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 50(4), 2065 (2011)
- Kim YJ, Park OO, J. Environ. Polym. Degrad., 7, 53 (1999)
- Li FX, Xu XJ, Hao QH, Li QB, Yu JY, Cao AM, J. Polym. Sci. B: Polym. Phys., 44(12), 1635 (2006)
- Moon SI, Taniguchi I, Miyamoto M, Kimura Y, Lee CW, High Perform. Polym., 13, S189 (2001)
- Moon SI, Lee CW, Miyamoto M, Kimura Y, J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 38(9), 1673 (2000)
- Taniguchi I, Nakano S, Nakamura T, Salmawy AE, Miyamoto M, Kimura Y, Macromol. Biosci., 2, 447 (2002)
- Honda N, Taniguchi I, Miyamoto M, Kimura Y, Macromol. Biosci., 3, 189 (2003)
- Vorderwulbecke T, Kieslich K, Erdmann H, Enzyme Microb. Technol., 14, 631 (1992)
- Kang HJ, Park SS, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 72(4), 593 (1999)