New approach for deciphering polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based plastics’ diols: Application on PET daily-life packaging objects paving their chemical modifications
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a thermoplastic polyester synthetized from a terephthalic diacid and a diol which is generally ethylene glycol. Given PET prominence in food packaging industry, a detailed study of this polymer is of utmost importance. The identification of the initial diols constituting PET-based bottles and containers along with their structural modifications, due to recycling procedures and/or weathering, is still a challenging research subject. In this study, PET diols were derivatized using a new approach combining an innovative methanolysis-benzoylation methodology with analysis by Orbitrap MS. First, a transesterification with methanol for freeing diols and/or polyols was performed followed by a derivatization with 4-dimethylaminobenzoyl chloride (DMABC) used as benzoylation agent under specific conditions. After reaction post-treatment, the derivatized products were analyzed using ESI ionization on an Orbitrap MS hyphenated to liquid chromatography LC−MS. This method was applied to PET-based daily-life bottles and containers in comparison to authentic diols and copolyesters used as references, showing extra new data on their diols’ composition that may be affected by recycling, manufacturing procedures and/or natural weathering. These PET-based packaging objects were differentiated according to the detected diols along with their oxidized compounds and hydroxy acids. Other polyesters and copolyesters can be studied using this same new strategy.
Source: ChemRxiv
Authors: Bayan ALMASRI, Christian ROLANDO
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221026134