Efficiency Increase of Poly(ethylene terephthalate‐<i>co</i>‐isosorbide terephthalate) Synthesis using Bimetallic Catalytic Systems

Abstract

Abstract New catalytic systems are developed to increase the transesterification efficiency during the synthesis of poly(ethylene terephthalate ‐co‐ isosorbide terephthalate) with the aim of compensating for the lack of reactivity of the isosorbide and to reduce the coloration of the polymer. The combination of antimony oxide with a second metal (lithium‐, magnesium‐, or aluminium‐based compounds) is investigated, leading to the discovery of innovative antimony‐based bimetallic catalytic systems that exhibit a higher polymerization efficiency, even at high isosorbide contents (20%) and, in some cases, lower coloration. magnified image