Tailoring poly(butylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate) features by the introduction of adipic acid co-units: Biobased and biodegradable aliphatic/aromatic polyesters

A class of eco-friendly copolyesters based on poly(butylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate) (PBTF) is presented. The main goal of the study was to enhance the biodegradation rate of PBTF homopolymer. To this purpose, aliphatic sequences based on adipic acid have been introduced in the macromolecular backbone. The synthesized polymers have been characterized from thermal and structural point of view and their properties have been compared to those of the two homopolymers, i.e. PBTF and poly(butylene adipate). The peculiar microstructure of PBTF, due to the presence of an uninduced 2D-ordered phase, i.e. meso-phase, impacted also the copolymers' behavior, e.g. causing an increase of the materials' stiffness.