Stereocomplex formation of polylactide using microwave irradiation

Microwave irradiation has been shown as a simple and effective method for stereocomplexation of polylactide with various molecular weights. The thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave irradiation effectively support the stereocomplexation in a relatively short time. Surprisingly, the linear stereocomplex polylactide generated using microwave irradiation has particular thermal stability compared to that prepared using other methods. The microwave irradiation is also suitable for various types of polylactide-based materials. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry