Synthesis of polyesters by emulsion polycondensation reaction in water

Polyesters were prepared from dicarboxylic acids and diols in the presence of a surfactant under mild conditions below 100degreesC in water. The results of polycondensation on various conditions in the presence of pdodecylbenzenesulfonic acid(DBSA) show that polyesters were obtained in a good yield from sebacic acid and decanediol in water at 70degreesC. The molecular weight of the resulting polyesters were approximately 2000-5000 by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in a chloroform eluent. The molecular weight distribution from this emulsion polycondensation was below M-w/M-n = 2.0. The particle size of these misells from this emulsion polycondensation were ca. 4-6 mum. Esterfication in water might occur in misells having hydrophobic media from DBSA, which may play a role as the catalyst of esterification and also misell formation for this emulsion polycondensation in a water medium.