Bio-Based Fluorescent Epoxies: Emission Control through Molecular Packing and Phase Separation
Siddhant Bhardwaj1, Andrew Becker1, Dhananjay Dileep1
1Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011, USA.
Chemsuschem
|October 29, 2025
Summary
Agricultural waste is converted into high-performance fluorescent epoxy resins using coumaric acid epoxy (CE) and ferulic acid epoxy (FE). These sustainable bio-based resins offer tunable photoluminescence and excellent thermomechanical properties for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Agricultural waste valorization is crucial for a circular economy.
- Development of high-performance, bio-based fluorescent materials is an ongoing challenge.
- Existing fluorescent epoxy resins often involve complex synthesis or additives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a sustainable method for producing fluorescent epoxy resins from agricultural waste.
- To investigate the photoluminescent and thermomechanical properties of bio-based epoxy blends.
- To compare the performance of bio-based resins with commercial counterparts.
Main Methods:
- Direct blending of coumaric acid epoxy (CE) and ferulic acid epoxy (FE) derived from corn stover.
- Characterization of photoluminescence properties (emission maxima, intensity).
- Evaluation of thermomechanical properties (flexural modulus, glass transition temperature, storage modulus, impact toughness) and phase behavior using light microscopy.
Main Results:
- Tunable photoluminescence achieved, with emission maxima shifting from 299 nm to 841 nm by varying FE content (0-33 wt%).
- CE-FE blends exhibited superior or comparable thermomechanical properties to commercial bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE)-based resins.
- Commercial BADGE blends showed phase separation and reduced impact toughness at higher FE concentrations, unlike the CE-FE blends.
- Enhanced fluorescence intensity in CE-rich blends was linked to compact aromatic structures limiting nonradiative decay.
Conclusions:
- A straightforward blending approach enables the sustainable production of high-performance fluorescent epoxy resins from agricultural waste.
- These bio-based resins offer tunable optical properties and robust thermomechanical performance, outperforming commercial options in certain aspects.
- The developed materials are suitable for integration into biorefineries with potential applications in optical sensors, bioimaging, and smart coatings.
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