Synthesis of Functional Isosorbide-Based Polyesters and Polyamides by Passerini Three-Component Polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Growing environmental concerns necessitate the development of biodegradable polymers to replace conventional plastics.
• Isosorbide-based polymers present a promising renewable resource for sustainable material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel family of functional isosorbide-based polyesters and polyamides using Passerini-Three component polymerization (P-3CP).
• To investigate the influence of P-3CP reaction conditions on polymer properties, including molar mass and yield.
• To introduce functional side groups into the polymer architecture for tailored material characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Passerini-Three component polymerization (P-3CP) under optimized, mild conditions.
• Characterization using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA).
• Cytotoxicity assessment via CCK-8 assay against mBMSC cells to evaluate biological safety.

Main Results:

• High molar mass (up to 10100 g/mol) and yield (>70%) isosorbide-based polyesters and polyamides were achieved via P-3CP.
• Polymers exhibited high thermal stability, amorphous nature, and tunable glass transition temperatures (T_g) up to 87.5°C for polyesters and 97.5°C for polyamides.
• Functional side groups (alkenyl, alkynyl, methyl ester) were successfully incorporated, and the synthesized polymers demonstrated biological safety.

Conclusions:

• P-3CP provides an efficient and mild route for producing functional isosorbide-based polyesters and polyamides.
• These novel polymers possess desirable properties, including high thermal stability and tunable T_g, making them suitable for biodegradable material applications.
• The demonstrated biocompatibility further supports their potential use in environmentally friendly material solutions.