CAS: Lignocellulosic building blocks towards high-performance and sustainable polysulfones and polyurethanes

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NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYPolyurethanes are ubiquitous in a range of consumer products from athletic goods to automotive parts, showcasing their versatility to address a variety of application needs. Typically manufactured utilizing petroleum feedstocks, the continued use of polymers, such as a polyurethanes, is impacted by questions around recyclability and environmental impacts. The transformation of biomass into value-added polymers is a promising route to develop materials with comparable performance and lower cost, and that can be designed for an optimal product lifecycle. Utilizing wood biomass, the team will design, synthesize, and characterize high-performance polymers, investigate more sustainable approaches to the generation of polymers, and study the influence of wood diversity on material properties and environmental impact. These bioderived polymers have potential applications as membranes, elastomers, and foams. Sustainability in the context of new materials design will be leveraged as a framework for broadening participation in science and engineering fields at all levels -– K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and aspiring faculty -- via strategic partnerships, mentoring activities, and educational activities. High school internships and research opportunities will prepare underrepresented students for science and engineering college pathways. Mentoring activities for female graduate students and post-docs will be implemented, focusing on shared experiences and sustained dialogue. Diversifying the professoriate with a focus on soft materials will be targeted via an annual workshop, expanded to include concepts of collaborative, multidisciplinary research. TECHNICAL SUMMARYAlternative synthetic approaches are critical for the utilization of biomass building blocks in the development of robust polymeric materials with exceptional mechanical function and thermal properties. Lignocellulosic biomass, particularly the lignin fraction, is an attractive source of diverse, abundant, and inexpensive precursors for macromolecular design. Bisguaiacols, such as the newly-developed bisguaiacol A (BGA) –- an entirely bio-based, methoxy-substituted analogue to bisphenol A (BPA) -- are robust and potentially safer components for the design of polymeric systems with enhanced properties. Utilizing lignin-based biomass as a primary synthetic precursor, the PIs will investigate the following strategies in the design of sustainable routes for bio-based polymeric materials – polysulfones (PSFs) and polyurethanes (PUs) with enhanced material properties: (i) synthesis of new bisguaiacol analogues for BPA-replacements for polymerization; (ii) development of schemes for ‘green’ PU synthesis; (iii) exploration of the influence of biomass source on thermomechanical behavior; (iv) construction of structure-property-processing relationships; (v) toxicity assessment of these bisguaiacol-based polymers; (vi) examination of reprocessability in bisguaiacol-derived PU networks; and (vii) exploration of additive manufacturing conditions and post-functionalize strategies for scale-up. Expertise in materials science, polymer chemistry, and chemical engineering will drive this fundamental research program that spans the inclusion of diverse lignin sources, synthesis of sustainable building blocks, macromolecular design and characterization, and manufacturing of ‘green’ polymers for a diverse set of applications..This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.