Tunable polyesterification of xylitol: from linear to crosslinked structures

The copolymerization by condensation chemistry of succinic acid and xylitol, a byproduct from the sugarcane and alcohol industry, is reported. Two methodologies were studied concerning succinic acid: with and without carboxylic acid activation, yielding cross-linked and linear low molecular weight polymers, respectively. All polymerizations were carried out at reaction times in the range from 36 to 80 hours, with a molar mass ratio of 1:1 and 1:3. Linear and cross-linked polyesters were analyzed by MALDI-TOF, DSC and TGA, and structural characterization was carried out by FT-IR and NMR.