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Polymers
Special Issues
Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers Obtained via Step Polymerization
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Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers Obtained via Step Polymerization

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 11171

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marco A. Ortenzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Milan, via C. Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: synthesis of polymers, mainly via ROP and polycondensation, with control of macromolecular architecture; bioplastics and environmentally friendly polymers; synthesis of green polymers; environmental degradation of plastics and polymers; polymer recycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Step polymerization is the most common synthetic route used for the preparation of biodegradable and biobased polymers, allowing for a great variety of macromolecular structures and features. Several are the polymer families obtained via step polymerization, with polyesters, polyamides, and polyurethanes being probably the most significant examples, but also other polymers, such as polyethers, commonly synthesized using this approach.

Many challenges have to be faced by these kinds of polymers when dealing with biodegradation, especially when it is coupled with the need for tailored properties that the polymer should have depending on its application field.

For example, biodegradable polymers used in the packaging field should guarantee good mechanical properties for several months, even in harsh environmental conditions. On the other hand, when biomedical applications are targeted, degradation products should not be harmful for the body.

The need for such varied and demanding features makes research around these polymers extremely challenging and stimulating. Consequently, researchers are constantly studying complex macromolecular architectures, hybrid organic/inorganic systems and, more in general, innovative synthetic strategies and processing approaches.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progresses around step polymerization when it involves the synthesis of biodegradable and biobased polymers to be employed in a wide range of potential applications.

Dr. Marco A. Ortenzi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Step polymerization
  • Polycondensation
  • Biodegradable polymers
  • Biobased polymers
  • Bioplastics
  • Polyamides
  • Polyesters
  • Polyurethanes
  • Polyethers
  • Packaging
  • Biodegradable polymer composites
  • Biodegradable blends
  • Hybrid polymers
  • Complex macromolecular architecture

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2434 KiB  
Article
1,3-Dioxolan-4-Ones as Promising Monomers for Aliphatic Polyesters: Metal-Free, in Bulk Preparation of PLA
by Stefano Gazzotti, Marco Aldo Ortenzi, Hermes Farina and Alessandra Silvani
Polymers 2020, 12(10), 2396; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12102396 - 18 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2848
Abstract
The first example of solvent-free, organocatalyzed, polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan-4-ones, used as easily accessible monomers for the synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA), is described here. An optimization of reaction conditions was carried out, with p-toluensulfonic acid emerging as the most efficient Brønsted acid [...] Read more.
The first example of solvent-free, organocatalyzed, polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan-4-ones, used as easily accessible monomers for the synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA), is described here. An optimization of reaction conditions was carried out, with p-toluensulfonic acid emerging as the most efficient Brønsted acid catalyst. The reactivity of the monomers in the tested conditions was studied following the monomer conversion by 1H NMR and the molecular weight growth by SEC analysis. A double activation polymerization mechanism was proposed, pointing out the key role of the acid catalyst. The formation of acetal bridges was demonstrated, to different extents depending on the nature of the aldehyde or ketone employed for lactic acid protection. The polymer shows complete retention of stereochemistry, as well as good thermal properties and good polydispersity, albeit modest molecular weight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers Obtained via Step Polymerization)
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14 pages, 3137 KiB  
Article
Hydrolytic Degradation of Porous Crosslinked Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Synthesized by High Internal Phase Emulsion Templating
by Nejla Benyahia Erdal, Gabriela Albara Lando, Anilkumar Yadav, Rajiv K. Srivastava and Minna Hakkarainen
Polymers 2020, 12(8), 1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12081849 - 18 Aug 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4363
Abstract
Porous poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds were fabricated using the high internal polymerization emulsion (HIPE) technique. Bis(ε-caprolactone-4-yl) (BCY) was utilized as crosslinker. The crosslinking density and the volume fraction of the dispersed phase were varied in order to study the potential effect of these parameters [...] Read more.
Porous poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds were fabricated using the high internal polymerization emulsion (HIPE) technique. Bis(ε-caprolactone-4-yl) (BCY) was utilized as crosslinker. The crosslinking density and the volume fraction of the dispersed phase were varied in order to study the potential effect of these parameters on the hydrolytic degradation at 37 °C and 60 °C. After different hydrolysis times the remaining solid samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the degradation products in the aqueous aging solutions were analyzed by laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). The effect of temperature on the degradation process and release of degradation products was, as expected, significant. The temperature effect was also shown by FTIR analysis that displayed a pronounced increase in the intensity of the hydroxyl-group absorption band after 70 days of hydrolysis at 60 °C indicating significant cleavage of the polymer chains. LDI-MS analysis proved the release of oligomers ranging from dimers to hexamers. The product patterns were similar, but the relative m/z signal intensities increased with increasing time, temperature and crosslinking density, indicating larger amounts of released products. The latter is probably due to the decreasing degree of crystallinity as a function of amount of crosslinker. The porous structure and morphology of the scaffolds were lost during the aging. The higher the crosslinking density, the longer the scaffolds retained their original porous structure and morphology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers Obtained via Step Polymerization)
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13 pages, 3754 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Polylactic Acid Initiated through Biobased Antioxidants: Towards Intrinsically Active Food Packaging
by Marco Aldo Ortenzi, Stefano Gazzotti, Begonya Marcos, Stefano Antenucci, Stefano Camazzola, Luciano Piergiovanni, Hermes Farina, Giuseppe Di Silvestro and Luisella Verotta
Polymers 2020, 12(5), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051183 - 21 May 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3439
Abstract
Polylactide (PLA)-based polymers, functionalized with biobased antioxidants, were synthesized, to develop an intrinsically active, biobased and potentially biodegradable material for food packaging applications. To achieve this result, phenolic antioxidants were exploited as initiators in the ring opening polymerization of l-lactide. The molecular [...] Read more.
Polylactide (PLA)-based polymers, functionalized with biobased antioxidants, were synthesized, to develop an intrinsically active, biobased and potentially biodegradable material for food packaging applications. To achieve this result, phenolic antioxidants were exploited as initiators in the ring opening polymerization of l-lactide. The molecular weight, thermal properties and in vitro radical scavenging activity of the polymers obtained were compared with the ones of a PLA Natureworks 4043D, commonly used for flexible food packaging applications. The most promising synthesized polymer, bearing vanillyl alcohol as initiator (PLA-VA), was evaluated for active food packaging applications. Packaging with PLA-VA films reduced color and fat oxidation of salami during its shelf life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers Obtained via Step Polymerization)
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