By combing salicylic acid and lactic acid derivatives, we were able to prepare salicylic methyl glycolide (SMG), a cyclic ester that is amenable to controlled ring-opening transesterification polymerization (ROTEP). The homopolymer poly(SMG) is a rigid and strong thermoplastic with a high glass transition temperature of about 90 °C. Poly(SMG) is susceptible to hydrolytic degradation under a variety of conditions. For example, in simulated sea water (pH = 8.0, 50 °C) poly(SMG) exhibited 100% mass loss in about two months. Moreover, we determined that poly(SMG) is compostable under industrial composting conditions. We also incorporated SMG-based repeat units into poly(lactide) (PLA) to give a copolyester that was nearly identical to PLA from a polymer property standpoint but was much more susceptible to hydrolytic degradation than the parent PLA. Preliminary results also suggest that PLA copolymers containing SMG repeat units are industrial compostable. In this presentation I will cover the synthesis, characterization, and potential applications of these new polyester copolymer plastics.

Synthesis and characterization of salicylate-containing polyester copolymers

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

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