Fully biobased lignin-functionalized elastomers enabling UV shielding, photothermal conversion, and thermoelectric...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Growing demand for flexible functional materials in wearable devices necessitates sustainable and integrated solutions.
• Alkali lignin, a byproduct of the paper industry, presents challenges in processability and heterogeneity for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop fully biobased lignin-graft copolymers for high-value applications in flexible electronics.
• To explore the potential of modified lignin as a macromonomer for functional material synthesis.
• To create materials with tunable mechanical, UV shielding, and photothermal properties.

Main Methods:

• Modification of alkali lignin with thioctic acid (TA).
• Preparation of lignin-graft-poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate-co-isobornyl acrylate) (Lignin-g-P(THFA-co-IBOA)) copolymers via radical polymerization.
• Tuning copolymer properties by regulating feeding ratio and lignin content.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized fully biobased Lignin-g-P(THFA-co-IBOA) copolymers.
• Achieved tunable mechanical properties, excellent UV shielding, and outstanding photothermal conversion capacity.
• Demonstrated the copolymer's efficacy as a flexible photothermal power generation module for wearable devices.

Conclusions:

• The developed lignin-based copolymers offer a sustainable and efficient pathway for flexible electronic materials.
• This work highlights the high-value utilization of lignin, overcoming its structural challenges.
• The approach provides insights for green production of advanced materials and supports the flexible electronics industry.