Functionalized poly(butylene succinate) by nitroxide radical coupling

In recent years there has been a growing interest in developing sustainable alternatives to oil-based plastics. In particular, biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), are becoming increasingly important due to their valuable properties including thermoplastic processability and thermo-mechanical properties. Nonetheless, these materials present several drawbacks, such as the lack of reactive functionalities that are limiting their applications, versatility and successful use as commodity plastics. In this work it was investigated for the first time a new method of preparation of functionalized PBS by a post-polymerization approa…