LAUSR

Abstract Balanced strength and toughness of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based materials is highly desirable in academia and industry. In this work, 1,5-pentanediol and dodecanedioic acid with flexible alkyl chains, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with a rigid cyclic structure and itaconic acid with carbon-carbon double bond are integrated to synthesize a new bio-based unsaturated copolyester. Through dicumyl peroxide-induced simultaneous dynamic vulcanization and interfacial compatibilization of the copolyester with PLA, resulting blends display high and balanced mechanical properties, namely, the maximum elongation at break and notch impact strength are increased by ~35 times and ~17 times, as compared to neat PLA; while the tensile strength maintains at 57.4 MPa (only ~18% decrease). As evidenced from SEM images, stretching of copolyester domains that induces deformation of contacted PLA surfaces via strong interfacial bonding accounts for the toughening mechanism. This work offers a facile strategy for fabricating fully bio-based polymeric materials with highly comprehensive mechanical properties.