Polyesters prepared by polycondensation in the presence of carbodiimides, 1. Preparation of polyesters from aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and diols under mild conditions

Abstract The possibility of the preparation of aliphatic polyesters from dicarboxylic acids and diols by polycondensation in the presence of carbodimides under mild conditions was investigated. The following three possible routes were checked: the polycondensation of dicarboxylic acids with diols in the presence of 4‐dimethylaminopyridine, the polycondensation of dicarboxylic acids with diisourea derivatives and the polycondensation in the presence of pyridine and p‐toluenesulfonic acid. The last method was found to give polyesters with high molecular weights in good yields. This carbodiimide method can be utilized in the synthesis of biodegradable and surface active aliphatic polyesters.