Epoxide Isosorbate Oleic Acid as a Sustainable PVC Plasticizer: Synthesis, Performance and Cytocompatibility

Abstract

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is widely utilized across various industries due to its outstanding comprehensive properties. However, the current reliance on harmful petroleum-based plasticizers, such as phthalates (PAEs), in PVC film processing poses significant environmental and health concerns, limiting its applications. To address this issue, we developed epoxidized isosorbide oleate (EIOA), a non-toxic, bio-based plasticizer with excellent plasticizing performance, as a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-derived plasticizers. EIOA was synthesized via esterification and epoxidation reactions using bio-derived raw materials, including isosorbide and oleic acid. When compared to the commercially available plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DOTP), EIOA-plasticized PVC demonstrated superior performance, including: non-toxicity, high optical clarity (87% light transmittance), enhanced thermal stability (T50% was 70 °C higher than pure PVC), exceptional flexibility (~636.5% elongation at break), superior migration resistance (only 1.8% migration in n-hexane and 0.4% in ligroin), and improved compatibility with PVC. Therefore, EIOA-plasticized PVC is highly suitable for medical devices, food packaging, and other applications requiring direct human contact, eliminating safety concerns associated with traditional plasticizers.