Novel poly(vinyl alcohol)-g-poly(hydroxy acid) copolymers: Synthesis and characterization

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was reacted with three hydroxy acids (HA), namely D,L-lactic acid (LA), glycolic acid (GA) and D,L-3-hydroxybutyric acid (HB). The graft copolymers obtained were thoroughly characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, FTIR, and DSC. Copolymer compositions were in the range 14–45 mol% HA with average lateral chain lengths in the range 1.1–1.3. The CO stretching band, arising from the lateral polyester chains, presents significant differences from that of pure polyesters. In case of the VALA and VAGA copolymers, carbonyl groups are almost completely interassociated with hydroxyl groups and as a result the carbonyl band presents a single contribution; however, splitting appears in VAHB. The band at about 1735 cm−1 already observed for Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) P3HB was reexamined in the light of molecular models for VAHB and the splitting observed was attributed to C–H•••OC and to O–H•••OC hydrogen bonding. The thermal analysis of copolymers demonstrates that esterification suppresses crystallinity and increases free volume, both accounting for a Tg reduction with regard to PVA. The stronger intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions found in PVA with the chemically modified PVAs opens an interesting way towards miscibility with polyesters and other polymer systems containing carbonyl groups.