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Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
Biobased 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan as a Versatile Building Block for Sustainable Polymeric Materials
Cornelis Post1,2, Dina Maniar1, Vincent S D Voet2
1Macromolecular Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Furanic polymers, currently mainly represented by polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate (PEF), also known as polyethylene furanoate, have a fantastic potential to replace fossil-based polymers: for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a precursor of PEF, and its derived polymers have been studied extensively, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) has received relatively little attention so far. Similarly to FDCA, BHMF is a biobased platform chemical derived from renewable sources such as sugars. This review highlights different polymerization techniques for BHMF-based polyesters and addresses BHMF's relative instability during the synthesis of BHMF-derived polymers, including polycarbonates and polyurethanes. Furthermore, the degradability of furanic polyesters is discussed and BHMF's toxicity is briefly elaborated.
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