A highly efficient bio-based plasticizer constructed from renewable oleic acids for plasticizing and enhancing the properties of Polylactic acidt margins

Abstract

Polylactic acid (PLA) has garnered significant attention as a biodegradable and renewable material. However, its intrinsic brittleness restricts its widespread application. In this study, we leveraged the potential of resources to successfully design and synthesize a variety of oleic acid-based hyperbranched plasticizers by combining them with the green platform chemical alcohol ether ester. The structure of the designed plasticizers was confirmed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). We systematically investigated the effects of oxyethyl groups on the miscibility, mechanical properties, volatility resistance, and biodegradation of plasticized PLA. The results indicated that the addition of oxyethyl groups enhanced thermal stability and exhibited superior toughness compared to the commonly used plasticizer dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP). By exploring the number of oxyethyl group units, we found that while increasing the number of oxyethyl units improves the plasticizing performance of the polymer, there is an optimal range, with 6-9 units being ideal. This work offers a novel approach to the rational utilization of biomass raw materials for preparing environmentally friendly PLA plasticizers.