Biobased 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and its emerging copolyesters’ properties for packaging applications

The synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) based polymers is gaining importance as a replacement for petrochemical polymers due to their excellent thermomechanical and barrier properties. However, the industrial production of FDCA based homopolyesters is impeded due to several factors including poor optical property, low ductility, and slow crystallization rate. In order to tune the properties of FDCA-based homopolyesters, FDCA has been copolymerized with several aliphatic (adipic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, sebacic acid, polyglycolic acid, and polyethylene glycol) and cyclic (caprolactam and isohexides) comonomers. The present review focuses on the current trends related to the synthesis of FDCA and its copolyesters. The thermomechanical and barrier properties of copolyesters have been discussed concerning applications in the food and beverage packaging sectors, with an emphasis on their biodegradability (hydrolytic and enzymatic) and compostability.