Sodium poly(aspartate)

Sodium poly(aspartate) is a condensation polymer based on aspartic acid. The polymerization reaction is an example of a step-growth polymerization to a polyamide and in one practical procedure Ref|1 aspartic acid is simply heated to 180 °C resulting in water release and the formation of a poly(succinimide) with succinimide repeating units. In the subsequent step this polymer is reacted with sodium hydroxide in water which results in partial cleavage of the amide bonds. Two different bonds (α and β) are hydrolyzed resulting in a sodium poly(aspartate) copolymer with 30% α-linkages and 70% β-linkages.

Sodium poly(aspartate) is used as an anti-scaling agent. It is a chelating agent.

References

# "A Green Polymerization of Aspartic Acid for the Undergraduate Organic Laboratory " George D. Bennett J. Chem. Educ. 2005 82 1380 [http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2005/Sep/abs1380.html Abstract]