High Throughput Polyester Syntheses Using Entropically-Driven Ring-Opening Polymerizations of Macrocyclic Oligomers

Cyclo-depolymerizations (CDP) of alkyl aryl polyesters, PET and PTT, were performed in dilute solution. The resultant macrocyclic oligomers, MCOs, were homo- and co-polymerized by entropically-driven ring-opening polymerizations (ED-ROP) carried out under various experimental conditions using high through-put (HTP) polymer synthesis techniques. The effectiveness of the different catalysts was estimated by GPC and DSC analysis. A rheological investigation on blends of MCOs and their parent polyesters was also carried out: the lowering of melt viscosities is promising for exploitation of in situ ED-ROP for reactive processing applications.