Synthesis and Properties of Poly(ethylene dodecanedioate)/Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Poly(butylene dodecanedioate)/Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Copolymers: Synergistically Enhanced Mechanical Properties, Hydrophobicity, and Antifouling Performance

Traditional nonbiodegradable plastics pose significant environmental hazards, whereas biodegradable plastics are free from these drawbacks. Poly(butylene dodecanedioate) (PBD) and Poly(ethylene dodecanedioate) (PED) exhibits well-rounded properties comparable to polyethylene (PE) while being biodegradable. However, its practical application is hindered by several limitations, including limited functionality and insufficient mechanical strength. To address these issues, this study incorporated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a block to synthesize a polyester-PDMS copolymer (PBDP and PEDP), thereby enhancing its performance and functionality. The introduction of flexible PDMS segments was found to significantly improve the mechanical properties of the material, with the elongation at break increasing from 355% for PEDP0 to 534% for PEDP4, and the impact strength improving from 259 J/m to 369 J/m. Owing to its low surface energy, PDMS enriches the material surface, endowing the synthesized block copolymer with enhanced antifouling and hydrophobic properties, as evidenced by an increase in the contact angle from 75° for PEDP0 to 97°. These improvements significantly broaden the application potential of PED-based materials. Given the minimal differences in structure and postmodification between PBD and PED, this paper primarily uses PED as the representative case for analysis. Relevant data and figures for PBD are available in the Supporting Information.