Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Unsaturated Aliphatic Polyester

Biodegradable unsaturated aliphatic polyesters have been prepared from fumaric acid (FA), diethylene glycol (DEG) and 1, 4-butanediol (BD) by melt polycondensation method. The polyesters were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Contact Angle (CA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Enzymatic degradation studies and cross-linking characterization were also investigated. The enzymatic degradation study was performed at 37 degrees C in phosphate buffer solution with porcine pancreas lipase. It was worth noticing that in comparison with saturated polyester, unsaturated ones prevented their efficient biodegradation by introducing carbon-carbon double bond in the polyester, and introduced the ether group into the polyesters, the enzymatic degradability increased. Cross-linking degree test and the degree of conversion (DC) of carbon-carbon double bond measurement show that the unsaturated aliphatic polyesters containing carbon-carbon double bond has excellent cross-linking characterization.