Hyperbranched Polyesters

聚合物在广泛的应用中被广泛用作添加剂，以改变体系的物理性能。聚合物传统上是由石油原料制成的，不能生物降解，导致潜在的意想不到的后果。由于担心塑料使用和废物对环境的影响，人们对可生物降解和可再生的替代品产生了越来越大的兴趣。聚酯是一种可降解的替代品，因为它们的主链上存在可水解性的酯键。官能化聚酯可以由1，3-二氧杂环己烷-4-酮(DOX)单体通过具有独特拓扑结构的开环聚合来制备。该项目旨在通过超支化聚合使功能化DOX单体具有ROP，从而制造出具有有用流变性的可生物降解聚合物。人们认为这种分子结构将产生良好的粘度调节性能。

Polymers are widely used as additives in a wide array of applications in order to modify the physical properties of the system. Polymers are traditionally made from petroleum-based feedstocks and are not biodegradable, leading to potential unintended consequences. Concerns over the effects of plastic use and waste on the environment has created a growing interest in biodegradable and renewable alternatives. Polyesters are a degradable alternative, owing to the hydrolysable ester bonds present in their backbone. Functionalised polyesters can be made from 1,3-dioxolan-4-one (DOX) monomers via ring-opening polymerization with unique topologies. This project aims to make biodegradable polymers with useful rheological properties by ROP of functionalised DOX monomers through hyperbranched polymerisations. It is thought this molecular architecture will give rise to good viscosity-modifying properties.