Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Renewable-resource thermoplastic elastomers based on polylactide and polymenthide.

Carolyn L Wanamaker1, Leslie E O'Leary, Nathaniel A Lynd

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0431, USA.

Biomacromolecules
|October 27, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Anion exchange beads for PFAS capture using a polymerization-induced microphase separation approach.

RSC applied polymers·2026
Same author

Interfacial Dynamics Accelerate Aging Yet Sustain Toughness in Poly(l‑lactide) Block Polymer Plastics.

ACS central science·2026
Same author

Ionically Triggered Cleavage of Poly(ethylene glycol) End Capped with Calcium Alginate Oligomers.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same author

Strategies toward Renewable and Compostable Intravenous Bag Materials.

ACS applied bio materials·2026
Same author

Novel feedstocks: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025
Same author

Catalysis: general discussion.

Faraday discussions·2025

Researchers synthesized novel triblock copolymers from polylactide and polymenthide. These advanced materials exhibit thermoplastic elastomer properties, offering tunable molecular weights and compositions for diverse applications.

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Polymer synthesis often requires precise control over molecular architecture.
  • Developing new materials with tunable properties is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize novel biorenewable polylactide-b-polymenthide-b-polylactide triblock copolymers.
  • To investigate the structure-property relationships of these new copolymers.

Main Methods:

  • Ring-opening polymerization of menthide using diethyl zinc catalyst.
  • Controlled polymerization of lactide initiated by an aluminum alkoxide macroinitiator.
  • Characterization using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
  • Tensile testing for mechanical property assessment.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Successfully synthesized alpha,omega-dihydroxy polymenthide and subsequent triblock copolymers.
  • Demonstrated control over molecular weight and composition via monomer-to-initiator ratios.
  • Confirmed microphase separation and determined a hexagonally packed cylindrical morphology using SAXS.
  • Identified thermoplastic elastomer behavior based on tensile testing results (ultimate elongations and elastic recovery).

Conclusions:

  • The developed method allows for the controlled synthesis of polylactide-b-polymenthide-b-polylactide triblock copolymers.
  • These copolymers exhibit tunable properties and thermoplastic elastomer characteristics.
  • The findings open avenues for creating advanced, biorenewable materials with tailored mechanical performance.