Poly(L-lactide)/branched β-cyclodextrin blends: Thermal, morphological and mechanical properties

In this work we develop poly(L-lactide)/branched β-cyclodextrin (bβCD) blends in an attempt to obtain new biocompatible and biodegradable materials to be used in the emerging fields of pharmaceutical, biomedicine and food industry. Ionic branched β-cyclodextrin (bβCD) was obtained by polycondensation of the β-CD monomer and it was blended with a commercially available PLLA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been applied to study the occurring interactions between both partners. Thermal properties of blends have been analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while the phase structure of the blends was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) has been used to provide further insights into the features controlling miscibility between PLLA and bβCD. Results show the presence of a single phase irrespectively of the blend composition. Overall, this work opens new perspectives for the development of naturally available materials with tunable functional properties for applications in which cyclodextrins emerge as a new class of promising candidates.