Author(s)

Nassima Mazouzi-Sennour, François Henry

Equipe "Systèmes Polymères Complexes", Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est, UMR 7182 CNRS-Université Paris-Est Créteil, Thiais, France.

Microwave irradiation in polymer chemistry is an emerging research field. This type of heating can enhance the rate of reaction and improve the specific characteristics of the formed polymer. In this context, the present paper focuses on selective microwave (MW) heating and its influence on the polyesterification reaction. As a reaction model, the polyesterification of sebacic acid with decanediol, in bulk and in aqueous emulsion is investigated. The reaction was catalyzed by using 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), which plays a catalytic and surfactant role. Both in bulk and in aqueous media, a polyester with higher molecular weight is obtained in MW heating compared to the conventional heating.

Microwave; Polyesterification; Emulsion; 4-Dodecylbenzenesulfonic Acid

Mazouzi-Sennour, N. and Henry, F. (2014) Microwave-Assisted Polyesterification Process in Bulk and Aqueous Media. International Journal of Organic Chemistry, 4, 16-23. doi: 10.4236/ijoc.2014.41003.