POS9-0071
A Hydrolysis-Resistant Titanium Catalyst Enabling Circular Use of Biodegradable Condensation Polyesters
When and Where
Nov 30, -0001
12:00am - 12:00am
Presenter(s)
Mingyeong Jang (Kyung Hee University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Industrial melt polycondensation of biodegradable polyesters, including PBS and PBAT, is overwhelmingly driven by Ti(IV) alkoxide catalysts prized for their Lewis acidity and high turnover at low loadings. Yet the same condensation chemistry that builds these polymers also releases water, which hydrolyzes Ti–OR bonds and converts the catalyst into inactive TiO₂-type residues. The consequences propagate downstream: inflated catalyst dosing, parasitic side reactions, and impaired thermal robustness during reprocessing.
We address this coupling with a titanium–citric acid (Ti-CA) complex in which citrate chelation shields the Ti(IV) center from hydrolytic decay without masking its catalytic Lewis acidity. In the synthesis of PBS, PBAT, and the furan-based PBAF, Ti-CA outperforms Ti(OiPr)₄ in attainable degree of polymerization, and the resulting polymers retain melting points and resist browning across repeated melt cycles, pointing to ligand-engineered titanium catalysis as a practical foundation for circular biodegradable polyesters.
We address this coupling with a titanium–citric acid (Ti-CA) complex in which citrate chelation shields the Ti(IV) center from hydrolytic decay without masking its catalytic Lewis acidity. In the synthesis of PBS, PBAT, and the furan-based PBAF, Ti-CA outperforms Ti(OiPr)₄ in attainable degree of polymerization, and the resulting polymers retain melting points and resist browning across repeated melt cycles, pointing to ligand-engineered titanium catalysis as a practical foundation for circular biodegradable polyesters.
