Characterization of biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-butyleneadipate) copolymers obtained from their homopolymers by microwave-assisted transesterification

Copolymers containing (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (HB), 1,4-butanediol (B), and adipic acid (A) were synthesized by microwave-assisted transesterification of biodegradable poly(R-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(1,4-butyleneadipate) (PBA) in solution at different reaction times, composition of the starting mixture, and amount of 4-toluenesulfonic acid, used as a catalyst. The copolyesters were characterized with regard to their molecular weights, thermal properties, molar composition, and average block length of repeating units by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS), 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR, respectively. Random and microblock copolymers could be obtained depending on experimental conditions, with weight average molecular weight of up to 17,000. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of all samples lay in the range between the Tgs of PBA and PHB, while their structure varied from partially crystalline to totally amorphous. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra of copolymers allowed us to ascertain that they were hydroxyl and carboxyl chain-end terminated.