Smart, Sustainable, and Ecofriendly Chemical Design of Fully Bio-Based Thermally Stable Thermosets Based on Benzoxazine Chemistry

Partially Bio-Based Benzoxazine Monomers Derived from Thymol: Photoluminescent Properties, Polymerization Characteristics, Hydrophobic Coating Investigations, and Anticorrosion Studies

In this work, four thymol-based benzoxazines were synthesized using four primary amines with different chain lengths, namely methylamine, ethylamine, 1-propylamine, and 1-butylamine, which are then named T-m, T-e, T-p, and T-b, respectively. The optical properties of the synthesized thymol-based benzoxazines were examined via the photoluminescent study of their solutions in acetone. The results show that all the prepared benzoxazines emitted blue light with the maximum wavelengths from 425 to 450 nm when irradiated by the excitation wavelengths from 275 to 315 nm. The maximum excitation wavelengths are found to be 275 nm. The polymerization of the thymol-based benzoxazines is triggered by heat treatments with different conditions (160, 180, and 200 °C for 1 h). According to the FTIR results, the heat-curing process introduces a presence of the OH peak, of which intensity increases as the curing temperature increases. Thermal decompositions of thymol-based benzoxazines regarding TGA analyses reveal the enhancement of thermal stability of the benzoxazines with respect to the N-substituent chain length, as significantly observed the change in the first thermal decomposition at temperature ranged from 253 to 260 °C. Synthesized benzoxazine derivatives are further employed to coat the substrate, e.g., the glass slides. The investigation of the water contact angle shows that the coating of the benzoxazines onto the surface improves the hydrophobicity of the substrate, resulting in the enlargement of the contact angle from 25.5° to 93.3°. Moreover, the anticorrosion performance of the polybenzoxazine coatings is examined using potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The results illustrate the anticorrosion efficiency of the thymol-based polybenzoxazine up to 99.99%. Both hydrophobic and electrochemical studies suggest the feasibility for employing benzoxazines in anticorrosion coating applications.

Synthesis of 1,4-benzoxazines via Y(OTf)3-catalyzed ring opening/annulation cascade reaction of benzoxazoles with propargylic alcohols

A convenient Y(OTf)₃-catalyzed cascade formal [4 + 2] cyclization approach for the formation of 1,4-benzoxazine scaffolds from benzoxazoles and propargyl alcohols through a ring-opening and regioselective ring-closure process has been developed. By using this mild and practical protocol, a broad range of aldehyde-containing 1,4-benzoxazine compounds were prepared in moderate to excellent yields with good functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies indicated that an S_N1 nucleophilic substitution of benzoxazole with a propargyl cation was involved in this transformation.

Transfer-Printed Cuprous Iodide (CuI) Hole Transporting Layer for Low Temperature Processed Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved significantly high power-conversion efficiency within a short time. Most of the devices, including those with the highest efficiency, are based on a n–i–p structure utilizing a (doped) spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer (HTL), which is an expensive material. Furthermore, doping has its own challenges affecting the processing and performance of the devices. Therefore, the need for low-cost, dopant-free hole transport materials is an urgent and critical issue for the commercialization of PSCs. In this study, n–i–p structure PSCs were fabricated in an ambient environment with cuprous iodide (CuI) HTL, employing a novel transfer-printing technique, in order to avoid the harmful interaction between the perovskite surface and the solvents of CuI. Moreover, in fabricated PSCs, the SnO₂ electron transport layer (ETL) has been incorporated to reduce the processing temperature, as previously reported (n–i–p) devices with CuI HTL are based on TiO₂, which is a high-temperature processed ETL. PSCs fabricated at 80 °C transfer-printing temperature with 20 nm iodized copper, under 1 sun illumination showed a promising efficiency of 8.3%, (J_SC and FF; 19.3 A/cm² and 53.8%), which is comparable with undoped spiro-OMeTAD PSCs and is the highest among the ambient-environment-fabricated PSCs utilizing CuI HTL.

Microporous Carbon and Carbon/Metal Composite Materials Derived from Bio-Benzoxazine-Linked Precursor for CO2 Capture and Energy Storage Applications

There is currently a pursuit of synthetic approaches for designing porous carbon materials with selective CO₂ capture and/or excellent energy storage performance that significantly impacts the environment and the sustainable development of circular economy. In this study we prepared a new bio-based benzoxazine (AP-BZ) in high yield through Mannich condensation of apigenin, a naturally occurring phenol, with 4-bromoaniline and paraformaldehyde. We then prepared a PA-BZ porous organic polymer (POP) through Sonogashira coupling of AP-BZ with 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (P-T) in the presence of Pd(PPh₃)₄. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry revealed details of the thermal polymerization of the oxazine rings in the AP-BZ monomer and in the PA-BZ POP. Next, we prepared a microporous carbon/metal composite (PCMC) in three steps: Sonogashira coupling of AP-BZ with P-T in the presence of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) as a directing hard template, affording a PA-BZ POP/ZIF-67 composite; etching in acetic acid; and pyrolysis of the resulting PA-BZ POP/metal composite at 500 °C. Powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements revealed the properties of the as-prepared PCMC. The PCMC material exhibited outstanding thermal stability (T_d10 = 660 °C and char yield = 75 wt%), a high BET surface area (1110 m² g^–1), high CO₂ adsorption (5.40 mmol g^–1 at 273 K), excellent capacitance (735 F g^–1), and a capacitance retention of up to 95% after 2000 galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) cycles; these characteristics were excellent when compared with those of the corresponding microporous carbon (MPC) prepared through pyrolysis of the PA-BZ POP precursors with a ZIF-67 template at 500 °C.

Review on the Accelerated and Low-Temperature Polymerization of Benzoxazine Resins: Addition Polymerizable Sustainable Polymers

Due to their outstanding and versatile properties, polybenzoxazines have quickly occupied a great niche of applications. Developing the ability to polymerize benzoxazine resin at lower temperatures than the current capability is essential in taking advantage of these exceptional properties and remains to be most challenging subject in the field. The current review is classified into several parts to achieve this goal. In this review, fundamentals on the synthesis and evolution of structure, which led to classification of PBz in different generations, are discussed. Classifications of PBzs are defined depending on building block as well as how structure is evolved and property obtained. Progress on the utility of biobased feedstocks from various bio-/waste-mass is also discussed and compared, wherever possible. The second part of review discusses the probable polymerization mechanism proposed for the ring-opening reactions. This is complementary to the third section, where the effect of catalysts/initiators has on triggering polymerization at low temperature is discussed extensively. The role of additional functionalities in influencing the temperature of polymerization is also discussed. There has been a shift in paradigm beyond the lowering of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) temperature and other areas of interest, such as adaptation of molecular functionality with simultaneous improvement of properties.

Development of Low-Viscosity and High-Performance Biobased Monobenzoxazine from Tyrosol and Furfurylamine

This work details the scalable and solventless synthesis of a potential fully biobased monobenzoxazine resin derived from tyrosol and furfurylamine. The structure of the monomer was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The curing of the precursors was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheological measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The properties of the resulting biobased polybenzoxazine were then determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA). A thermally stable resin was obtained with 5% and 10% weight-reduction-temperature (T_d5 and T_d10) values of 349 and 395 °C, respectively, and a char yield of 53%. Moreover, the low melting temperature, low viscosity, and excellent thermomechanical behavior make this fully biobased resin a promising candidate for coating applications.

Development of a fully bio-based hyperbranched benzoxazine

A fully bio-based hyperbranched benzoxazine derived from renewable raw materials exhibits excellent thermal properties.

Heat-resistant and robust biobased benzoxazine resins developed with a green synthesis strategy

Two high-performance biobased benzoxazine resins from mono-phenols are developed with a green synthesis strategy.

Polybenzoxazines: a sustainable platform for the design of fast responsive and catalyst-free vitrimers based on trans-esterification exchanges

This work explores a new strategy, aiming for the synthesis of catalyst-free vitrimers by taking advantage of the abundant number of tertiary amines covalently bound into a polybenzoxazine network.

Recent Advances in Functional Polymers Containing Coumarin Chromophores

Natural and synthetic coumarin derivatives have gained increased attention in the design of functional polymers and polymer networks due to their unique optical, biological, and photochemical properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview over recent developments in macromolecular architecture and mainly covers examples from the literature published from 2004 to 2020. Along with a discussion on coumarin and its photochemical properties, we focus on polymers containing coumarin as a nonreactive moiety as well as polymer systems exploiting the dimerization and/or reversible nature of the [2πs + 2πs] cycloaddition reaction. Coumarin moieties undergo a reversible [2πs + 2πs] cycloaddition reaction upon irradiation with specific wavelengths in the UV region, which is applied to impart intrinsic healability, shape-memory, and reversible properties into polymers. In addition, coumarin chromophores are able to dimerize under the exposure to direct sunlight, which is a promising route for the synthesis and cross-linking of polymer systems under "green" and environment-friendly conditions. Along with the chemistry and design of coumarin functional polymers, we highlight various future application fields of coumarin containing polymers involving tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, soft robotics, or 4D printing applications.

Design and Effects of the Cinnamic Acids Chemical Structures as Organocatalyst on the Polymerization of Benzoxazines

This study focuses on the catalytic effect of the two geometric isomers of a cinnamic acid derivative, E and Z-forms of 3-methoxycinnamic acid (3OMeCA), analyzing the influence of their chemical structures. E and Z-3OMeCA isomers show very good catalytic effect in the polymerization of benzoxazines, decreasing by 40 and 55 °C, respectively, the polymerization temperatures, for catalyst contents of up to 10% w/w. Isothermal polymerizations show that polymerizations are easily realized and analyzed at temperatures as low as 130 °C and at much shorter times using Z-3OMeCA instead of E-3OMeCA. Thus, both cinnamic acids are good catalysts, with Z-3OMeCA being better. The molecular reasons for this difference and mechanistic implications in benzoxazine polymerizations are also presented.

A New Sight into Bio-Based Polybenzoxazine: From Tunable Thermal and Mechanical Properties to Excellent Marine Antifouling Performance

With the rapid development of bio-based polymers, polybenzoxazine derived from renewable resources has been widely investigated. However, there are few reports on the functional application of bio-based polybenzoxazine based on the special chemical structures of renewable compounds. In this work, an easy approach to prepare the polybenzoxazines with varied thermomechanical properties and excellent marine antifouling performance from renewable resources is presented. After a variety of main-chain-type benzoxazine polymers (MCBPs) were synthesized from the renewable daidzein, furfurylamine, polyetheramine, and paraformaldehyde, their chemical structures were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR). Then, their curing behaviors were monitored by differential scanning calorimetry and rheological tests. Results revealed that the cross-linked MCBPs with varied thermomechanical properties could be easily prepared by adjusting the molar ratio of polyetheramine and furfuramine. Notably, these cured MCBP films demonstrated excellent antibacterial and algaecidal properties due to the presence of daidzein and furan units. This work first presents the new application prospect of bio-based MCBPs, for example, in marine antifouling coatings.

An apigenin-based bio-benzoxazine with three polymerizable functionalities: sustainable synthesis, thermal latent polymerization, and excellent thermal properties of its thermosets

An apigenin-based benzoxazine exhibiting a thermal latent polymerization behavior, high thermal stability and low flammability has been synthesized from sustainable resources.

Self-crosslinkable polymers from furan-functionalized Meldrum's acid and maleimides as effective precursors of free-standing and flexible crosslinked polymer films showing low dielectric constants

The integration of Michael addition and Diels–Alder reaction in the synthesis of reactive polymers for self-standing and flexible crosslinked polymer films.

The Michael addition reaction of Meldrum's acid (MA): an effective route for the preparation of reactive precursors for MA-based thermosetting resins

Reactive monomers and polymers possessing Meldrum's acid groups from the Michael addition reaction are demonstrated.