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A poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate)/TiO2 (PBSA/TiO2) nanocomposite was prepared by a melt-blending process. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the photodegradation behaviors of the nanocomposite was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), rheological measurements, and mechanical tests. TEM images of the PBSA/TiO2 revealed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were well dispersed in the matrix without obvious aggregation. The FT-IR results indicated that the TiO2 nanoparticles can block high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light and reduce the degradation of the PBSA matrix. The viscosity analysis results indicated that the TiO2 nanoparticles inhibited the chain scission of PBSA matrix under irradiation. In addition, the surface of the PBSA/TiO2 films and their mechanical properties change less than that of untreated PBSA films during the photoaging process. The obtained results imply that the TiO2 nanoparticles can be considered as an efficient photodegradation-resistant additive to PBSA for reducing photodegradation.

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Co-crystallization plays a crucial role in the integration and regulation of thermal and mechanical properties in polymer blends, but the poor compatibility of the components in the crystal phase has always been a major obstacle to co-crystallization, which puts forward stricter requests for linkage and interaction between different entities. On the basis of the hydrogen-bonding interaction that can promote chain stacking and thus improve miscibility, we propose that crystalline/crystalline blends of 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy)-functionalized poly(butylene succinate) and poly(butylene fumarate) (PBS-UPy/PBF-UPy) where UPy groups with quadruple hydrogen-bonding interaction are employed to connect different chain ends, could inhibit phase separation and improve co-crystallization. PBS-UPy/PBF-UPy blends exhibit complex component-dependent and cooling-rate-dependent co-crystallization behavior. A high level of co-crystallization occurs in the range of PBS-UPy-rich fractions, and the proportion could approach over 98% under optimized conditions with the aid of UPy quadruple hydrogen bonds interaction. This work enriches the understanding of co-crystallization in crystalline/crystalline polymer blends and provides more possibility for the design of structures and properties of polymer materials.