Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
10:22
Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
3.7K
Renewable Polyurethanes from Sustainable Biological Precursors
Thien An Phung Hai1, Marissa Tessman2, Nitin Neelakantan2
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0358, United States.
Biomacromolecules
|April 6, 2021
Summary
Researchers are exploring renewable resources like algae and vegetable oils to create sustainable polyurethane (PU) materials. This shift reduces environmental impact and offers new possibilities for eco-friendly product development.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Growing concerns over fossil fuel depletion, rising oil prices, and greenhouse gas emissions drive the search for sustainable alternatives.
- Renewable resources are increasingly utilized for developing eco-friendly and sustainable materials, particularly impacting polyurethane (PU) production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest advancements in polyurethane chemistry utilizing renewable raw materials.
- To highlight various biological precursors used in synthesizing thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethanes.
- To provide an overview of literature on biobased polyols and isocyanates for PU synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Focus on academic and industrial developments in utilizing renewable resources for PU precursors.
- Analysis of literature reports on biobased polyols and isocyanates.
- Review of synthesis methods for thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethanes from renewable sources.
Main Results:
- Vegetable oils, algae oils, and polysaccharides are key renewable resources for sustainable PU precursors.
- Algae offer a sustainable biomass source with a reduced carbon footprint.
- Biobased polyols are commercially available, with potential for new monomer development.
Conclusions:
- Incorporating renewable content into polyurethanes has significant and realistic potential.
- Renewable feedstocks like algae contribute to lessening environmental impacts.
- Advances in biobased polyols and isocyanates pave the way for new sustainable polyurethane products.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
2.4K
The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
2.4K
02:34Polymers
39.2K
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
39.2K
02:35Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes
8.7K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
8.7K
01:16Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)
2.8K
Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...
2.8K
01:03Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
4.0K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
4.0K
01:13Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview
2.3K
Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists of a...
2.3K