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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
Published on: January 19, 2016
Synthesis and structure design of new bio-based elastomers via Thiol-ene-Click Reactions
Shafiullah Khan1, Zhao Wang2, Runguo Wang3
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites and Key Laboratory of Beijing City for Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, PR China; Institute of Chemical Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan.
Abstract:
The additions of 2-mercaptoethanol to (S)-(-)-limonene via click reaction is described as an adaptable and efficient way to obtain alcohol functionalized renewable monomer for the synthesis of new cross-linkable bio-based elastomers. Thiol first reacted with the limonene endocyclic double bond and then reacted with the exocyclics double bond to form the difunctional monomer. The structure of the monomer was determined by using FTIR, (1)H NMR and mass spectrometry. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetrys (DSC) characterization exposed that this monomer could be used to synthesize elastomers with excellent and adaptable thermal properties. The molecular weight of the synthesized elastomer could reach 186kDaa via melting polycondensation route and the structure-properties relationship was deliberated. Finally, these elastomers were mixed with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) to form cross-linked elastomers with certain mechanical property, and the gel contents of the elastomers were confirmed by using Soxhlet extraction method.
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