A New Synthetic Route to Poly[3-hydroxypropionic acid] (P[3-HP]):Ring-Opening Polymerization of 3-HP Macrocyclic Esters

摘要

The necessity of environmentally friendly replacements for commodity plastics has stimulated the development of polymers from biorenew-able sources.A notable example is polylactide,a commercially important material derived from lactic acid.Recent efforts in the chemical industry have been focused on new bioderived starting materials that can be used for the preparation of new plastics,as well as other useful products and precursors.3-Hydroxypro-pionic acid (3-HP),a structural isomer of lactic acid,is such a material,which comprises the repeat unit of a useful polymer,P[3-HP] (Scheme 1).High molecular weight P[3-HP] has attractive mechanical properties,such as rigidity,ductility,and exceptional tensile strength in drawn films (>400 MPa).