Renewable benzoxazine monomers from “lignin-like” naturally occurring phenolic derivatives

Solvent-free synthesis of a formaldehyde-free benzoxazine monomer: study of its curing acceleration effect for commercial benzoxazine

A new 2-substituted benzoxazine bearing a phenol was blended with commercial benzoxazine for improving curing and thermomechanical properties.

Lignin-based polymers

On the basis of the world’s continuing consumption of raw materials, there was an urgent need to seek sustainable resources. Lignin, the second naturally abundant biomass, accounts for 15–35% of the cell walls of terrestrial plants and is considered waste for low-cost applications such as thermal and electricity generation. The impressive characteristics of lignin, such as its high abundance, low density, biodegradability, antioxidation, antibacterial capability, and its CO2 neutrality and enhancement, render it an ideal candidate for developing new polymer/composite materials. In past decades, considerable works have been conducted to effectively utilize waste lignin as a component in polymer matrices for the production of high-performance lignin-based polymers. This chapter is intended to provide an overview of the recent advances and challenges involving lignin-based polymers utilizing lignin macromonomer and its derived monolignols. These lignin-based polymers include phenol resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, epoxy resins, etc. The structural characteristics and functions of lignin-based polymers are discussed in each section. In addition, we also try to divide various lignin reinforced polymer composites into different polymer matrices, which can be separated into thermoplastics, rubber, and thermosets composites. This chapter is expected to increase the interest of researchers worldwide in lignin-based polymers and develop new ideas in this field.

Review on the Accelerated and Low-Temperature Polymerization of Benzoxazine Resins: Addition Polymerizable Sustainable Polymers

Due to their outstanding and versatile properties, polybenzoxazines have quickly occupied a great niche of applications. Developing the ability to polymerize benzoxazine resin at lower temperatures than the current capability is essential in taking advantage of these exceptional properties and remains to be most challenging subject in the field. The current review is classified into several parts to achieve this goal. In this review, fundamentals on the synthesis and evolution of structure, which led to classification of PBz in different generations, are discussed. Classifications of PBzs are defined depending on building block as well as how structure is evolved and property obtained. Progress on the utility of biobased feedstocks from various bio-/waste-mass is also discussed and compared, wherever possible. The second part of review discusses the probable polymerization mechanism proposed for the ring-opening reactions. This is complementary to the third section, where the effect of catalysts/initiators has on triggering polymerization at low temperature is discussed extensively. The role of additional functionalities in influencing the temperature of polymerization is also discussed. There has been a shift in paradigm beyond the lowering of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) temperature and other areas of interest, such as adaptation of molecular functionality with simultaneous improvement of properties.

Identification and Application of Bioactive Compounds from Garcinia xanthochymus Hook. for Weed Management

The allelopathic potential of plant species and their related compounds has been increasingly reported to be biological tools for weed control. The allelopathic potential of Garcinia xanthochymus was assessed against several test plant species: lettuce, rapeseed, Italian ryegrass, and timothy. The extracts of G. xanthochymus leaves significantly inhibited all the test plants in a concentration- and species-specific manner. Therefore, to identify the specific compounds involved in the allelopathic activity of the G. xanthochymus extracts, assay-guided purification was carried out and two allelopathic compounds were isolated and identified as methyl phloretate {3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid methyl ester} and vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid). Both of the substances significantly arrested the cress and timothy seedlings growth. I50 values (concentrations required for 50% inhibition) for shoots and roots growth of the cress and timothy were 113.6–104.6 and 53.3–40.5 μM, respectively, for methyl phloretate, and 331.6–314.7 and 118.8–107.4 μM, respectively, for vanillic acid, which implied that methyl phloretate was close to 3- and 2-fold more effective than vanillic acid against cress and timothy, respectively. This report is the first on the presence of methyl phloretate in a plant and its phytotoxic property. These observations suggest that methyl phloretate and vanillic acid might participate in the phytotoxicity of G. xanthochymus extract.

Development of a fully bio-based hyperbranched benzoxazine

A fully bio-based hyperbranched benzoxazine derived from renewable raw materials exhibits excellent thermal properties.

Polybenzoxazines: a sustainable platform for the design of fast responsive and catalyst-free vitrimers based on trans-esterification exchanges

This work explores a new strategy, aiming for the synthesis of catalyst-free vitrimers by taking advantage of the abundant number of tertiary amines covalently bound into a polybenzoxazine network.

Recent Advances in Functional Polymers Containing Coumarin Chromophores

Natural and synthetic coumarin derivatives have gained increased attention in the design of functional polymers and polymer networks due to their unique optical, biological, and photochemical properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview over recent developments in macromolecular architecture and mainly covers examples from the literature published from 2004 to 2020. Along with a discussion on coumarin and its photochemical properties, we focus on polymers containing coumarin as a nonreactive moiety as well as polymer systems exploiting the dimerization and/or reversible nature of the [2πs + 2πs] cycloaddition reaction. Coumarin moieties undergo a reversible [2πs + 2πs] cycloaddition reaction upon irradiation with specific wavelengths in the UV region, which is applied to impart intrinsic healability, shape-memory, and reversible properties into polymers. In addition, coumarin chromophores are able to dimerize under the exposure to direct sunlight, which is a promising route for the synthesis and cross-linking of polymer systems under "green" and environment-friendly conditions. Along with the chemistry and design of coumarin functional polymers, we highlight various future application fields of coumarin containing polymers involving tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, soft robotics, or 4D printing applications.

Effect of acetylacetone metal salts on curing mechanism and thermal stability of polybenzoxazine

To overcome high water absorption of inorganic metal salts and their poor compatibility with resin, acetylacetone metal salts (M(acac) n) were selected as the catalysts of benzoxazine resin. Their effects on the catalytic activity, structure, and thermal stability of polybenzoxazine had been estimated by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry, in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analyzer. The results revealed that M(acac) n of iron (Fe3+), cobalt (Co3+ and Co2+), and copper (Cu2+) exhibited high catalytic activity and reduced evidently activation energy, especially acetylacetone iron salt. The addition of M(acac) n was beneficial to the formation of Ph–N–Ph structure, which was easy to form a denser carbon layer during thermal degradation, prevented heat transfer and further decomposition of the resin, and finally led to the increase of carbon residue at high temperature.

Design and Effects of the Cinnamic Acids Chemical Structures as Organocatalyst on the Polymerization of Benzoxazines

This study focuses on the catalytic effect of the two geometric isomers of a cinnamic acid derivative, E and Z-forms of 3-methoxycinnamic acid (3OMeCA), analyzing the influence of their chemical structures. E and Z-3OMeCA isomers show very good catalytic effect in the polymerization of benzoxazines, decreasing by 40 and 55 °C, respectively, the polymerization temperatures, for catalyst contents of up to 10% w/w. Isothermal polymerizations show that polymerizations are easily realized and analyzed at temperatures as low as 130 °C and at much shorter times using Z-3OMeCA instead of E-3OMeCA. Thus, both cinnamic acids are good catalysts, with Z-3OMeCA being better. The molecular reasons for this difference and mechanistic implications in benzoxazine polymerizations are also presented.

Cyanuric chloride as a potent catalyst for the reduction of curing temperature of benzoxazines

Cyanuric chloride (2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine, TCT) was used as a catalyst to lower the ring opening polymerization (ROP) temperature of 1,3-benzoxazines.

One-Pot Synthesis of Amide-Functional Main-Chain Polybenzoxazine Precursors

Main-chain polybenzoxazines containing amide linkages were successfully prepared in one pot. Three different polymers were synthesized by reacting 3,4-dihydrocoumarine (DHC) and paraformaldehyde with 1,3-diaminopropane or 1,6-diaminohexane or Jeffamine ED-900. The one-pot reaction proceeded through the combination of the ring-opening of DHC with amines, and subsequent Mannich and ring-closure reactions occurring in a cascading manner. The obtained polymer from Jeffamine exhibited good film-forming properties, and free-standing flexible films were easily solvent- casted on Teflon plates. All polymeric precursors were characterized by spectroscopic analysis, and their curing behavior and thermal stability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Combining polybenzoxazines and polybutadienes via simultaneous inverse and direct vulcanization for flexible and recyclable thermosets by polysulfide dynamic bonding

Simultaneous inverse and direct vulcanization of a benzoxazine and a polybutadiene gave recyclable films through dynamic S–S bonding.

Thermosetting Polymers from Lignin Model Compounds and Depolymerized Lignins

Lignin is the most abundant source of renewable ready-made aromatic chemicals for making sustainable polymers. However, the structural heterogeneity, high polydispersity, limited chemical functionality and solubility of most technical lignins makes them challenging to use in developing new bio-based polymers. Recently, greater focus has been given to developing polymers from low molecular weight lignin-based building blocks such as lignin monomers or lignin-derived bio-oils that can be obtained by chemical depolymerization of lignins. Lignin monomers or bio-oils have additional hydroxyl functionality, are more homogeneous and can lead to higher levels of lignin substitution for non-renewables in polymer formulations. These potential polymer feed stocks, however, present their own challenges in terms of production (i.e., yields and separation), pre-polymerization reactions and processability. This review provides an overview of recent developments on polymeric materials produced from lignin-based model compounds and depolymerized lignin bio-oils with a focus on thermosetting materials. Particular emphasis is given to epoxy resins, polyurethanes and phenol-formaldehyde resins as this is where the research shows the greatest overlap between the model compounds and bio-oils. The common goal of the research is the development of new economically viable strategies for using lignin as a replacement for petroleum-derived chemicals in aromatic-based polymers.

Combining benzoxazine and ketene chemistries for self-healing of high performance thermoset surfaces

The use of oxoketene chemistry for self-healable polybenzoxazines is described.

Phosphorus-containing polymers from THPS. IV: Synthesis and properties of phosphorus-containing polybenzoxazines as a green route for recycling toxic phosphine (PH3) tail gas

A convenient route to convert the highly toxic phosphine (PH₃) tail gas into high-performance polybenzoxazines was first described in this paper. Two aliphatic polyamines, namely tris(aminomethyl)phosphine oxide and bis(aminomethyl)phenylphosphine oxide, were synthesized from tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate (THPS), a green derivative of PH₃ tail gas. And then two novel phosphorus-containing benzoxazine monomers, tris(3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazin-3-yl-methyl)phosphine oxide (TBOz) and benzylbis(3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazin-3-yl-methyl) phosphine oxide (BBOz) were prepared by three-steps procedure. FT-IR and DSC technologies were adopted to study the thermal-initiated polymerization behaviors of two benzoxazine monomers. Thermal properties of these crosslinked polymers were studied by TGA and DMA. The results display that the polybenzoxazines (PTBOz and PBBOz) exhibite good thermal stabilities and high glass transition temperatures. The char yield of polybanzoxazine is high as 47% and indiactes that phosphorus-containing polybenzoxazines show high fire-retardancy. The surface free energies of the PTBOz and PBBOz are 37.1 and 40.4mJm^-2 by Owens two-liquid method. The dielectric properties of the PTBOz and PBBOz remaine near constant in the experimental frequency range.

Physicochemical Characterization of Functional Lignin-Silica Hybrid Fillers for Potential Application in Abrasive Tools

Functional lignin–SiO₂ hybrid fillers were prepared for potential application in binders for phenolic resins, and their chemical structure was characterized. The properties of these fillers and of composites obtained from them with phenolic resin were compared with those of systems with lignin or silica alone. The chemical structure of the materials was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹³C CP MAS NMR). The thermal stability of the new functional fillers was examined by thermogravimetric analysis–mass spectrometry (TG-MS). Thermo-mechanical properties of the lignin–silica hybrids and resin systems were investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The DMTA results showed that abrasive composites with lignin–SiO₂ fillers have better thermo-mechanical properties than systems with silica alone. Thus, fillers based on lignin might provide new, promising properties for the abrasive industry, combining the good properties of lignin as a plasticizer and of silica as a filler improving mechanical properties.

Triggering effect caused by elemental sulfur as a mean to reduce the polymerization temperature of benzoxazine monomers

Mixtures of different benzoxazine resins and elemental sulfur (S8) are prepared and then reacted at 120 °C, below the temperature for radical formation of sulfur, triggering the reduction of the polymerization temperature.

Benzoxazines with enhanced thermal stability from phenolated organosolv lignin

Phenolated lignin was modified with propargyl amine and aniline to benzoxazines, which exhibit high thermal stability and were classified as self-extinguishing.

Multivalent photo-crosslinkable coumarin-containing polybenzoxazines exhibiting enhanced thermal and hydrophobic surface properties

Mono-, bi-, and trivalent coumarin-containing benzoxazine monomers were synthesized by facile Mannich reactions of 4-methyl-7-hydroxycoumarin and paraformaldehyde with aniline, bisphenol A–NH₂, and 1,3,5-tri(4-aminobenzene).

Preparation and characterization of fully renewable polybenzoxazines from monomers containing multi-oxazine rings

Fully renewable polybenzoxazines prepared from monomers with multi-oxazine rings shows reversible pH responsiveness, good thermal and mechanical performance.