THF-Functionalized Polyethers: Biosourced Monomers, Tunable Thermoresponsiveness, and Iron-Selective Adsorption

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Biosourced polymers offer sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials.
• Thermoresponsive polymers exhibit temperature-dependent solubility, enabling smart material applications.
• Combining biosourced and thermoresponsive properties in polymers remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel tetrahydrofuran-functionalized polyethers from furfural.
• To investigate the thermoresponsive behavior and metal ion adsorption capabilities of these new polymers.
• To explore the potential of these materials in sustainable and advanced applications.

Main Methods:

• Furfural derivatives were converted to tetrahydrofuran-bearing epoxides.
• Ring-opening polymerization using an organic Lewis pair catalyst.
• Characterization of polymer properties including molar mass, dispersity, thermal stability, and cloud point temperature.
• Investigation of "salting-in/-out" effects of alkali metal halides.
• Selective adsorption studies of Fe3+ ions from aqueous solutions.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized THF-functionalized polyethers (polyF2GE) with controlled molar mass and low dispersity.
• Polyethers exhibited high thermal stability, minimal cytotoxicity, and tunable thermoresponsive behavior (cloud point temperature).
• Demonstrated selective adsorption of Fe3+ ions (95.3%) from mixed aqueous solutions above the cloud point temperature.
• Observed variable "salting-in/-out" effects of different alkali metal halides on cloud point temperature.

Conclusions:

• Novel biosourced, thermoresponsive polyethers were developed from furfural.
• These materials show promise for applications requiring controlled phase transitions and selective metal ion capture.
• The study highlights a successful strategy for merging sustainability with advanced polymer functionalities.