Poly(hydroxyether terephthalate ester): Synthesis, characterization and competitive specific interactions in mixtures with poly(ethylene oxide)

A novel poly(hydroxyether ester) (PHEE), poly(hydroxyether terephthalate ester) (PHETE) was synthesized via the polymerization of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with terephthalic acid catalyzed by tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB). From the structural view of point, PHETE combines the structural features of both poly(hydroxyether of bisphenol A) (PH) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT). The miscibility and intermolecular specific interactions in the blends of PHETE and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The PHETE/PEO blends displayed single, composition-dependent glass transition temperatures (Tgs), indicating that the blends are miscible in amorphous state, which was further confirmed by the depression of equilibrium melting point depression. FTIR studies indicate that there are the competitive specific interactions upon adding PEO to the system, which were involved with the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions, i.e. –OH⋯OC, –OH⋯–OH and –OH versus ether oxygen atoms of PEO between PHETE and PEO.