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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
Synthesis, Thermal Properties, and Rheological Characteristics of Indole-Based Aromatic Polyesters
Carlos R Arza1, Baozhong Zhang1
1Centre of Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden.
Abstract:
Currently, there is an intensive development of bio-based aromatic building blocks to replace fossil-based terephthalates used for poly(ethylene terephthalate) production. Indole is a ubiquitous aromatic unit in nature, which has great potential as a bio-based feedstock for polymers or plastics. In this study, we describe the synthesis and characterization of new indole-based dicarboxylate monomers with only aromatic ester bonds, which can improve the thermal stability and glass-transition temperature (T g) of the resulting polyesters. The new dicarboxylate monomers were polymerized with five aliphatic diols to yield 10 new polyesters with tunable chemical structures and physical properties. Particularly, the T g values of the obtained polyesters can be as high as 113 °C, as indicated by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The polyesters showed decent thermal stability and distinct flow transitions as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis and rheology measurements.
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