Synthesis, characterization and thermal, hydrolytic and oxidative degradation study of biobased (BisFuranic-Pyridinic) copolyesters

Polymers from renewable resources are of high interest since it could be possible to valorize the biomass and in parallel to tune their macromolecular structures in relation with their properties. Here novel bisfuranic-pyridinic copolyesters, namely poly (ethylene furoate-co-ethylene pyridinate) (PEBF-co-PEPy) were prepared by applying a two-stage melt polycondensation method at high temperature, in a presence of titanium derivatives as catalyst. Molecular weights of resulting copolyesters are in the range 24000-45200 g mol−1 and their chemical microstructures statistical as shown by NMR. These furano-pyridinic copolyesters are amorphous with Tg ranging from 62 to 67 °C and their thermal and hydrolysis stabilities are influenced by presence of the pyridinic dyads Py-ED-Py. Finally the oxidative degradation in H2O2/CoCl2 cannot be effective because of the chelating properties of pyridinic moieties.