Influence of the 2,5-Furandicarboxamide Moiety on Hydrogen Bonding in Aliphatic–Aromatic Poly(ester amide)s

A Review of Biodegradable Plastics: Chemistry, Applications, Properties, and Future Research Needs

Environmental concerns over waste plastics' effect on the environment are leading to the creation of biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics may serve as a promising approach to manage the issue of environmental accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean and soil. Biodegradable plastics are the type of polymers that can be degraded by microorganisms into small molecules (e.g., H2O, CO2, and CH4). However, there are misconceptions surrounding biodegradable plastics. For example, the term "biodegradable" on product labeling can be misconstrued by the public to imply that the product will degrade under any environmental conditions. Such misleading information leads to consumer encouragement of excessive consumption of certain goods and increased littering of products labeled as "biodegradable". This review not only provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art biodegradable plastics but also clarifies the definitions and various terms associated with biodegradable plastics, including oxo-degradable plastics, enzyme-mediated plastics, and biodegradation agents. Analytical techniques and standard test methods to evaluate the biodegradability of polymeric materials in alignment with international standards are summarized. The review summarizes the properties and industrial applications of previously developed biodegradable plastics and then discusses how biomass-derived monomers can create new types of biodegradable polymers by utilizing their unique chemical properties from oxygen-containing functional groups. The terminology and methodologies covered in the paper provide a perspective on directions for the design of new biodegradable polymers that possess not only advanced performance for practical applications but also environmental benefits.

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Wholly Aromatic Copolyesters Based on 4'-Hydroxybiphenyl-3-Carboxylic and 3-Hydroxybenzoic Acids

A series of new wholly aromatic (co)polyesters based on m-substituted bifunctional comonomers-4'-hydroxybiphenyl-3-carboxylic (3HBCA) and 3-hydroxybenzoic (3HBA) acids with molar ratios of 3HBCA:3HBA from 0:100 to 60:40, respectively-was synthesized. NMR and FTIR spectroscopy methods proved the full compliance of the copolymer composition with the target ratio of comonomers, as well as high compositional homogeneity (absence of block sequences). The resulting copolyesters have a sufficiently high molecular weight and their intrinsic viscosity values are in the range of 0.6-0.8 dL/g. Thermal analysis showed that all 3HBCA-3HBA copolyesters are amorphous, and with an increase in the content of biphenyl units (3HBCA), the glass transition temperature increases significantly (up to 190 °C). The onset of the intense thermal decomposition of the synthesized polyesters occurs above 450 °C. Thus, this indicates a sufficiently high thermal stability of these polyesters. Rheological measurements have shown that melts of copolyesters with a high content of 3HBCA units exhibit anisotropic properties. At the same time, the method of polarization optical microscopy did not confirm the transition to the liquid crystal state for these polyesters. These results confirm that it is possible to obtain high-performance polyesters based on 3HBCA, but not a mesogenic comonomer. Thus, 3HBCA is a promising comonomer for the synthesis of new thermotropic copolyesters with controlled anisotropic properties.

A Semicrystalline Furanic Polyamide Made from Renewable Feedstocks

Semi-aromatic polyamides (SAPs) synthesized from petrochemical diacids and diamines are high-performance polymers that often derive their desirable properties from a high degree of crystallinity. Attempts to develop partially renewable SAPs by replacing petrochemical diacids with biobased furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) have resulted in amorphous materials or polymers with low melting temperatures. Herein, we report the development of poly(5-aminomethyl-2-furoic acid) (PAMF), a semicrystalline SAP synthesized by the polycondensation of CO₂ and lignocellulose-derived monomer 5-aminomethyl-2-furoic acid (AMF). PAMF has glass-transition and melting temperatures comparable to that of commercial materials and higher than that of any previous furanic SAP. Additionally, PAMF can be copolymerized with conventional nylon 6 and is chemically recyclable. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggest that differences in intramolecular hydrogen bonding explain why PAMF is semicrystalline but many FDCA-based SAPs are not.

Recent Advances of Poly(ester amide)s-Based Biomaterials

Biodegradable and biocompatible biomaterials have offered much more opportunities from an engineering standpoint for treating diseases and maintaining health. Poly(ester amide)s (PEAs), as an outstanding family among such biomaterials, have risen overwhelmingly in the past decades. These synthetic polymers have easily and widely available raw materials and a diversity of synthetic approaches, which have attracted considerable attention. More importantly, combining the superiorities of polyamides and polyesters, PEAs have emerged with better functions. They could have improved biodegradability, biocompatibility, and cell-material interactions. The PEAs derived from α-amino acids even allow the introduction of pendant sites for further modification or functionalization. Meanwhile, it is gradually recognized that the chemical structures are closely related to the physiochemical and biological properties of PEAs so that their properties can be precisely controlled. PEAs therefore become significant materials in the biomedical fields. This review will attempt to summarize the recent progress in the development of PEAs with respect to the preparation materials and methods, structure-property relationships along with their latest biomedical accomplishments, especially for drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Discovery and characterization of new crystal forms of bio-based nylon 4F salt

The transformation relationships between three new crystal forms of all-biobased nylon 4F salts.

Synthesis and characterisation of polyamides based on 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid as a sustainable building block for engineering plastics

Polyphthalamides (PPAs) are promising engineering thermoplastics employed in several demanding applications. At present, most of the commercially available PPAs are based on non-renewable petroleum derived resources. Herein, we investigated the...

Preparation and properties of an aromatic polyamide fibre derived from a bio-based furan acid chloride

A high-molecular-weight aromatic polyamide resin incorporating furan-rings (f-resin) was prepared by low-temperature solution polycondensation of bio-based 2,5-furandiformyl chloride and 3,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether, in N,N-dimethylacetamide. Further, an aromatic polyamide fibre containing furan-rings (f-fibre) was obtained from the fresin by dry-jet wet spinning, and its structure and properties were investigated. The prepared f-resin showed good solubility and possessed good spinnability in solution. The mechanical, heat-resistance, and flame-retardant properties of the f-fibre were found to be excellent – comparable to or exceeding those of meta-aramid fibre (m-fibre). In addition, the furan acid chloride monomer is bio-based and is derived from abundant resources, unlike petroleum-based monomers. Therefore, f-fibre has good potential and broad application prospects as an environment-friendly and sustainable high-performance material.

Unlocking the potential of furan-based poly(ester amide)s: an investigation of crystallization, molecular dynamics and degradation kinetics of novel poly(ester amide)s based on renewable poly(propylene furanoate)

In this work, novel polyester amides (PEAs) based on renewable poly(propylene furanoate) (PPF) were prepared via traditional melt polycondensation utilizing a preformed symmetric amido diol (AD) containing two internal amide bonds.

New Solvent for Polyamide 66 and Its Use for Preparing a Single-Polymer Composite-Coated Fabric

Polyamides (PAs) are one of the most important engineering polymers; however, the difficulty in dissolving them hinders their applications. Formic acid (FA) is the most common solvent for PAs, but it has industrial limitations. In this contribution, we proposed a new solvent system for PAs by replacing a portion of the FA with urea and calcium chloride (FAUCa). Urea imparts the hydrogen bonding and calcium ion from the calcium chloride, as a Lewis acid was added to the system to compensate for the pH decrease due to the addition of urea. The results showed that the proposed solvent (FAUCa) could readily dissolve PAs, resulting in a less decrease in the mechanical properties during the dissolution. The composite prepared using the FAUCa has almost the same properties as the one prepared using the FA solution. The solution was applied on a polyamide 66 fabric to make an all-polyamide composite-coated fabric, which then was characterized. The FAUCa solution had a higher viscosity than the one prepared using the neat FA solvent, which can be an advantage in the applications which need higher viscosity like preparing the all-polyamide composite-coated fabric. A more viscous solution makes a denser coating which will increase the water /gas tightness. In conclusion, using the FAUCa solvent has two merits: (1) replacement of 40% of the FA with less harmful and environmentally friendly chemicals and (2) enabling for the preparation of more viscous solutions, which makes a denser coating.

Effects of a trans- or cis-cyclohexane unit on the thermal and rheological properties of semi-aromatic polyamides

Polyamides containing trans-formation cyclohexane unit was found to have better physical performance than that of sample with cis-formation such as mechanical, thermal and oxidation resistance properties etc.

Enzymatic synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid-based semi-aromatic polyamides: enzymatic polymerization kinetics, effect of diamine chain length and thermal properties

Sustainable FDCA-based semi-aromatic polyamides are produced via enzymatic polymerization. The enzymatic polymerization kinetics, effect of diamine chain length, and thermal properties of the resulting polyamides are investigated.

Semi-bio-based aromatic polyamides from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid: toward high-performance polymers from renewable resources

Aromatic furanic polyamides with relatively high molecular weight were synthesized, and good thermal stability and mechanical properties were demonstrated.

Biobased polyesters and other polymers from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid: a tribute to furan excellency

A tribute to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid excellency and the myriad of novel polyesters, as well as polyamides, among other polycondensates, is comprehensively paid.

Investigation of the synthesis and properties of isophorone and ether units based semi-aromatic polyamides

The resultant semi-aromatic polyamides showed excellent melt processability and mechanical, thermal and optical properties.

Synthesis, kinetics, and characterization of bio-based thermosets obtained through polymerization of a 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid-based bis(2-oxazoline) with sebacic acid

Renewable 2,5-bis(4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)furan based poly(ester amide)s with enhanced curing kinetics were studied in terms of chemistry and thermal properties.