Phase separation and physical properties of PEO-containing poly(ether ester amide)s
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

MALDI-ToF MS Method for the Characterization of Synthetic Polymers with Varying Dispersity and End Groups
Published on: October 3, 2025
A A Deschamps1, D W Grijpma, J Feijen
1Institute for Biomedical Technology (BMTI), Department of Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Poly(ether ester amide) (PEEA) copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), 1,4-butanediol, and dimethyl-7,12-diaza-6,13-dione-1,18-octadecanedioate (a diester-diamide monomer) were synthesized by a two-step polycondensation reaction. The obtained segmented copolymers are hydrophilic, with a water uptake of 24-340%. PEEA copolymers showed microphase separation, as observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The long spacing determined by small-angle X-ray scattering shows an increase in the hydrophilic domain size with increasing PEO content. By varying the copolymer composition, the E-modulus of PEEA could be varied between 61 and 427 MPa, with tensile strengths ranging from 12 to 39 MPa. The elongation at break can reach values up to 850%. The mechanical properties decrease with the uptake of water. However, PEEAs with a relatively low content of PEO still retain good tensile properties and are, in principle, suitable for biomedical applications.
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