Hyperbranched poly(aryl ester)s as developer materials for thermal printing system

Abstract

A novel class of hyperbranched polyesters, HPpEP and HPmEP, were prepared via a facile one-pot polymerization of a phloroglucinol (as a B3 monomer) with a phthaloyl dichloride (as an A2 monomer) for replacing a problematic BPA developer in thermal printing system. The resulting polymers, HPpEP and HPmEP, had highly branched structures and met well the requirements for high performance developer materials such as colorlessness, easy and inexpensive synthesis, high thermal stability, etc. In addition, these polymers exhibited an efficient reaction with leuco dyes (ODB-2) for a coloring process by releasing protons from linear and terminal phenol groups of polymers when heated.