Ultrahigh performance bio-based polyimides from 4,4′-diaminostilbene

Enhanced Biodegradability in Soil of Chicken Feather by Steam Explosion for Potential Application in Agricultural Biodegradable Plastics

Feather waste is a major issue from an economic and environmental point of view. Even though there are already routes for the valorisation of feathers into fertilisers and feather meal, these are considered to have low added value. For more attractive applications, for example in agricultural biodegradable plastics, higher and faster degradability in soil is required. To face this challenge alternative approaches to accelerate biodegradation and disintegration processes are needed. In this context, steam explosion appears as an effective technology to modify the structure of feather and improve its soil degradability. In this work, chicken feathers were treated by steam explosion and the effect of treatment on their structure and physico-chemical and thermal properties were evaluated. Finally, the effect of the process conditions on the disintegration and biodegradation in soil of feathers was also investigated, finding an increased degradation in soil of steam explosion treated feathers. These results open up the possibilities of using feather waste as a component for environmentally friendly agricultural bioplastics that can be degraded in-situ in soil.

Synthesis of Furan-Based Diamine and Its Application in the Preparation of Bio-Based Polyimide

Furan-based compounds are a new class of compounds characteristic of wide abundance, feasible availability, and environmental friendliness. Presently, polyimide (PI) is the best membrane insulation material in the world, which is widely used in the fields of national defense, liquid crystals, lasers, and so on. At present, most polyimides are synthesized using petroleum-based monomers bearing benzene rings, while furan-based compounds bearing furan rings are rarely used as monomers. The production of petroleum-based monomers is always associated with many environmental issues, and their substitution with furan-based compounds seems a solution to addressing these issues. In this paper, t-butoxycarbonylglycine (BOC-glycine) and 2,5-furandimethanol, bearing furan rings, were employed to synthesize BOC-glycine 2,5-furandimethyl ester, which was further applied for the synthesis of furan-based diamine. This diamine is generally used to synthesize bio-based PI. Their structures and properties were thoroughly characterized. The characterization results showed that BOC-glycine could be effectively obtained using different posttreatment methods. And BOC-glycine 2,5-furandimethyl ester could be effectively obtained by optimizing the accelerating agent of 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide(DCC) with either 1.25 mol/L or 1.875 mol/L as the optimum value. The PIs originated from furan-based compounds were synthesized and their thermal stability and surface morphology were further characterized. Although the obtained membrane was slightly brittle (mostly due to the less rigidity of furan ring as compared with benzene ring), the excellent thermal stability and smooth surface endow it a potential substitution for petroleum-based polymers. And the current research is also expected to shed some insight into the design and the fabrication of eco-friendly polymers.

Biotechnological production and high potential of furan-based renewable monomers and polymers

Of the 25 million tons of plastic waste produced every year in Europe, 40% of these are not reused or recycled, thus contributing to environmental pollution, one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Most of these plastics are made of petrochemical-derived polymers which are very difficult to degrade and as a result, a lot of research efforts have been made on more environmentally friendly alternatives. Bio-based monomers, derived from renewable raw materials, constitute a possible solution for the replacement of oil-derived monomers, with furan derivatives that emerged as platform molecules having a great potential for the synthesis of biobased polyesters, polyamides and their copolymers. This review article summarizes the latest developments in biotechnological production of furan compounds that can be used in polymer chemistry as well as in their conversion into polymers. Moreover, the biodegradability of the resulting materials is discussed.

Polypeptide gels incorporating the exotic functional aromatic amino acid 4-amino-l-phenylalanine

High-molecular-weight polypeptides with functional aromatic side chains, poly(4-amino-l-phenylalanine), were prepared by the metal-initiated polymerization of the N^α-carboxyanhydride of the corresponding amino acid, which is a microbial derivative of phenylalanine.

Bio-Based Poly(Ether Imide)s from Isohexide-Derived Isomeric Dianhydrides

In this work, four isohexide-derived isomeric dianhydrides were synthesized through a four-step procedure using isohexide and chloro-N-phenylphthalimides as the starting materials. The one-step solution polymerization of these dianhydrides with petroleum- or bio-based diamines enabled the synthesis of poly(ether imide)s (PEIs), which had viscosities of 0.41 to 2.40 dL∙g-1. The isohexide-derived PEIs were characterized based upon their solubility and their thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. The results showed that most of the isohexide-derived PEIs possessed comparable glass transition temperatures (Tg), tensile strengths, and moduli to petroleum-based PEIs. However, the thermo-oxidative stability of the PEIs was found to be lower than that of the common petroleum-based PEIs. Moreover, the PEIs displayed good optical activity, which originated from their unique chiral isohexide moieties. The isomeric effects of dianhydride monomers on the properties of the resulting PEIs were comparatively studied. The results suggested that the corresponding 4,4'-linked PEIs possessed lower Tg, higher mechanical properties, and higher specific rotations compared to 3,3'-linked polymers. Meanwhile, the polyimides with isomannide residue displayed higher Tg and more specific rotations than the corresponding polymers with isosorbide residue. These results contributed to more restricted rotations of phthalimide segments in 3,3'-linked or isomannide containing polyimides.

(1)H NMR and FT-IR dataset based structural investigation of poly(amic acid)s and polyimides from 4,4'-diaminostilbene

Structural investigation of polymers by various available analytical methods is important in order to correlate the structure with polymer properties for which understanding of polymer structure is very important factor. The data presented here in this article shows the (1)H NMR spectra used for the characterization of prepared poly(amic acid)s (PAAs). It is often difficult to assigns the peak in NMR of polymers due to its complexity. Data presented here helps in assigning the proton peak in complex NMR of PAAs prepared from aromatic diamines. Further functionality in polymer chains can be confirmed by FT-IR spectra. Change in functionality during some reaction or process can be monitored by disappearance or appearance of peaks in FT-IR. The complete imidization of PAAs to Polyimides (PIs) is difficult to analyze because of the chemical stability i.e. insolubility of PIs in most of the solvent therefore the completion of imidization process was confirmed using FTIR.

Semi-bio-based aromatic polyamides from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid: toward high-performance polymers from renewable resources

Aromatic furanic polyamides with relatively high molecular weight were synthesized, and good thermal stability and mechanical properties were demonstrated.