Diacid monomer containing N-substituted-2-pyrrolidone (NS2P) ring system have been synthesized from itaconic acid, a biomonomer mass-produced from the fermentation of carbohydrates. By changing the aliphatic diols as the comonomer, the thermal properties of the obtaining polyesters can be tuned, covering the range of Polylactic Acid (PLA), Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) (PET) and Polystyrene (PS). The high water degradability of these new set of polyesters due to the hydrophilicity of pyrrolidone has been discovered, offering great potential to replace those commodity plastics.

Synthesis of biorenewable and water degradable polyesters from itaconic acid

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.