Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) is an aliphatic synthetic polyester with a melting point from 103–106 °C. It is synthesized from dicarboxylic acids; either by ring-opening polymerization of

succinic anhydride Succinic anhydride, is an organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon- hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms) ...

with

ethylene oxide Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless and flammable gas with a faintly sw ...

or by polycondensation of

succinic acid Succinic acid () is a dicarboxylic acid with the chemical formula (CH2)2(CO2H)2. The name derives from Latin ''succinum'', meaning amber. In living organisms, succinic acid takes the form of an anion, succinate, which has multiple biological r ...

and

ethylene glycol Ethylene glycol ( IUPAC name: ethane-1,2-diol) is an organic compound (a vicinal diol) with the formula . It is mainly used for two purposes, as a raw material in the manufacture of polyester fibers and for antifreeze formulations. It is an od ...

. Thermophilic ''

Bacillus ''Bacillus'' (Latin "stick") is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria, a member of the phylum '' Bacillota'', with 266 named species. The term is also used to describe the shape (rod) of other so-shaped bacteria; and the plural ''Bacil ...

'' sp. TT96 is found in soil and can degrade PES. Mesophilic PES degrading microorganisms were found in the ''Bacillus'' and '' Paenibacillus'' species; strain KT102; a relative of '' Bacillus pumilus'' was the most capable of degrading PES film. The fungal species NKCM1003 a type of '' Aspergillus clavatus'' also degrades PES film. The solubility of lithium salts (e.g. lithium perchlorate, LiClO₄) in PES made it a good alternative to poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) during early development of solid polymer electrolytes for lithium ion batteries.

References

{{Reflist Polyesters Succinate esters