Renewable triblock copolymers of polylactide and polyether polyol: degradation behaviors of their monolayers and films

Bio-based monomers appear to be more attractive and increasingly important due to their potential to reduce the environmental impact of traditional petrochemical-based polymer production. This study deals with the synthesis, characterization, and degradation of triblock copolymers containing polylactide (PLA) and bio-based polyether polyol. Although the glass transition and melting temperature of copolymers decrease with polyether polyol content, copolymerization of lactide with the polyether polyol shows slower enzymatic degradation behavior than PLA itself by using both Langmuir monolayers and thin films. Overall, controlling the degradation of biodegradable polymers is useful for the commodity industries because it provides a sustainable and customizable solution.