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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers
Published on: June 30, 2018
Accelerating Reactive Compatibilization of PE/PLA Blends by an Interfacially Localized Catalyst
Christopher M Thurber, Yuewen Xu1, Jason C Myers2
1Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States.
Abstract:
We show catalyst localized at the interface can compatibilize polyethylene (PE) and polylactide (PLA) blends. Telechelic hydroxyl functional PE was synthesized by ring opening metathesis polymerization, which reacted with PLA in melt mixing (shown by adhesion and droplet size reduction). Lewis acid tin catalysts were examined as interfacial reaction promoters, with the goal of interfacial localization. Stannous octoate was shown to localize at the interface by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and improved dispersion of PLA in PE as compared to uncatalyzed materials and a nonlocalized tin chloride dihydrate.
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