Polyesters with furan groups have become of interest because of the renewability of the sugar derived furan. A series of 17 diols were evaluated in the binary copolymerizations with the dimethylester of 2,5-furandicarboxylate. These include 1,3-propanediol, 2-alkyl-1,3-propanediols and 2,2-dialkyl-1,3-propanediols, whereby the alkyl groups were methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. Another series was based on ethylene glycol and 1,2-alkanediols, in particular, 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol and 1,2-hexanediol. Furthermore, three monomers containing phenyl groups were applied: 2-phenyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-diphenyl-1,3-propanediol, and 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol. Both the conversion and molecular weight properties decreased with the aromatic substituents. The majority of these copolyesters is amorphous, and they have different solubilities in applied polar solvents. As determined by DSC, the length of the alkyl chains has an effect on T<sub>g</sub>, and in case of the dialkyl-substituted 1,3-propanediols it is not following a monotonous trend. The T<sub>g</sub> values were relatively high with the 1,2-alkanediols and relatively low with the 2-alkyl-1,3-propanediols. By selecting a specifically substituted diol it is possible to tune the glass transition temperatures of these polyesters over a wide range. Molecular weight properties of the copolyesters were determined by gel permeation chromatography using hexafluoroisopropanol as solvent.

Effects of alkyl and phenyl substituents in ethylene glycol or 1,3-propanediol in binary copolyesters with 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid

ACS Fall 2021

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