SusChEM: Biobased Platform for the Sustainable Molecular Design and Controlled Synthesis of Block Polymers from Renewable Feedstocks

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Under the support of the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professors Thomas H. Epps, III and Michael T. Klein of the University of Delaware and Professor Joseph Stanzione of Rowan University will collaborate to develop synthetic pathways and computational tools for converting lignin-based bio-oils to polymers. This research aims to address the grand challenge of manufacturing new plastic materials from natural and renewable resources, without depleting food or other commercial resource production. The lignin-based polymers to be produced through this research have potential uses in paints, surface coatings, and other composite materials. This project provides research opportunities to students-including underrepresented undergraduate and economically-disadvantaged high school students-in acollaborative laboratory setting and exposes students to modern concepts for making new 'biorenewable' plastics.This project focuses on developing efficient and cost-effective approaches to generate 'designer plastics' from a renewable resource based on lignin, an inexpensive and natural waste product of pulp and paper industry. The main tasks of this project include: 1) computational modeling of lignin-based bio-oil composition as a function of pyrolysis conditions and variability in wood composition/source; 2) functionalization of the major components of bio-oils separately or collectively to generate versatile monomer libraries from lignin waste streams; 3) synthesis of homopolymers (from a single type of lignin-modified monomers) or heteropolymers (from lignin-modified monomers in bio-oil mixtures); 4) kinetic studies of the heteropolymer formation by free-radical polymerization; and 5) design and preparation of tunable nanostructures of block copolymers that are potentially useful as thermoplastic elastomers and pressure-sensitive adhesives.