Preparation, Characterization, and Degradation Profiles of Poly(Glycerol Sebacate)

This research focused on preparation, characterization and degradation studies of Poly(Glycerol Sebacate) (PGSb) as a promising material to be used for biodegradable plastic. Glycerol sebacate oligomer (OGSb) was synthesized through a condensation polymerization with toluene as the solvent at a temperature of 135-140 °C for 50 hours. The characterization of the resulting oligomeric products was carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). FTIR analysis confirmed the formation of OGSb due to the appearance of the carbonyl ester functional group at 1722 cm -1 , the hydroxyl group at 3409.47 cm -1 , the ether group at 1166.21 cm -1 , and the aliphatic C-H group at 2927-2931 cm -1 . The TGA experiment was carried out at a temperature of 80-600 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere and showed two steps of thermal decomposition of OGSb. PGSb was synthesized from OGSb using a thermal curing method at 160 °C for 12 hours. FTIR analysis of PGSb displayed similar spectrum patterns of functional groups compared to OGSb, with less intensity of the hydroxyl groups. Interestingly, the TGA result of PGSb showed only one step of thermal decomposition, indicating the successful formation of a cross-linked structure of PGSb. The degradation test of PGSb film was done at various pH solutions for 8 days and resulted in PGSb being better degraded in alkaline conditions. Our results demonstrated the potential application of PGSb as a biodegradable material for environmentally friendly plastic.