(600g) Oxidative Functionalization of Lignins for the Synthesis of Polyamides and Polyesters
AIChE Annual Meeting
2017
2017 Annual Meeting
Topical Conference: Innovations of Green Process Engineering for Sustainable Energy and Environment
Efficient Processing of Lignin to Bioproducts and Biofuels II
Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - 5:27pm to 5:49pm
We here present a new process that converts a wide variety of lignins to high molecular weight (>10,000 Da) polymer that contains over 80% lignin by weight. In this process, enzymatic lignin and organosolv lignin are functionalized via Cu-catalyzed oxidation to form oligomers with acyl chloride groups. Using these oligomers and difunctional linkers, we have successfully synthesized block copolymers of lignin that contain amide and ester linkages.
Characterization of the synthesized polymer demonstrated the preservation of native beta-aryl ether linkages in lignin, while FTIR data confirms the formation of amide and ester linkages. Our studies on lignin polymerization chemistry revealed the association between polymerization parameters and mechanical properties. This new polymer material has potential in coating, adhesives, and drug delivery applications.