Controlled Synthesis of Sustainable Block Copolymer Compatibilizers

脂肪族聚酯是一类有吸引力的可持续材料，因为聚乳酸等聚合物可以从生物质中提取，并且是可生物降解的。然而，脂肪族聚酯的应用范围目前受到其材料性质的限制。聚合物共混物的形成（结合两种不同类型的聚合物）是一种有吸引力的方法，以适应材料的性质，从而扩大应用范围。然而，不同的聚合物组分会相分离，导致性能较差；这可以通过使用相容剂来克服。该项目将重点开发嵌段共聚物作为增容剂，形成具有一系列性能的聚合物共混物。

Aliphatic polyesters are an attractive class of sustainable materials, as polymers such as poly(lactic acid) can be derived from biomass and are biodegradable. However, the range of applications of aliphatic polyesters is currently limited by their material properties. The formation of polymer blends (combining two different types of polymer) is an attractive method of adapting the material properties and thus expanding the range of applications. However, the different polymer components can phase separate leading to poorer properties; this can be overcome by using a compatibilizer. This project will focus on developing block copolymers as compatibilizers to form polymer blends with a range of properties.