Thermal degradation of glycerol/adipic acid hyperbranched poly(ester)s containing either hydroxyl or carboxyl end-groups

摘要

Glycerol-derived hyperbranched poly(ester)s offer superior properties for utilization in agriculture, personal care and biomedical areas. These materials are compatible with bio-environments, are generally nontoxic and are biodegradable. When either hydroxyl or carboxyl end-groups are present, they may be conjugated with a wide variety of active agents to provide controlled-release compositions. Glycerol/adipic acid hyperbranched poly(ester)s have been prepared and characterized using chromatographic, spectroscopic and thermal analysis methods. The thermal degradation characteristics of these polymers have been established using thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy. The prominent feature for the degradation for polymers with hydroxyl end-groups is cross-linking ether formation while that for polymers with carboxyl end-groups is decarboxylation.