Polyester-based nanocomposites prepared by in situ entropically-driven ring-opening polymerization of macrocyclic oligomers

Montmorillonite modified with a novel functionalized imidazolium salt, able to catalyze transesterification reactions, was used for obtaining PBT-based nanocomposites through in situ entropically-driven ring-opening polymerization of the corresponding macrocyclic oligomers, previously intercalated between clay layers. WAXD and TEM show the presence of intercalated clay stacks dispersed into the PBT matrix