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

非技术总结Polyurethane在从运动用品到汽车零部件的一系列消费品中无处不在，展示了它们的多功能性，以满足各种应用需求。通常利用石油原料制造，聚合物（如聚氨酯）的持续使用受到可回收性和环境影响问题的影响。将生物质转化为增值聚合物是开发具有可比性能和较低成本的材料的一条有前途的途径，并且可以设计用于最佳产品生命周期。利用木材生物质，该团队将设计，合成和表征高性能聚合物，研究更可持续的聚合物生成方法，并研究木材多样性对材料性能和环境影响的影响。 这些生物衍生的聚合物具有作为膜、弹性体和泡沫的潜在应用。新材料设计背景下的可持续性将作为一个框架，通过战略伙伴关系，指导活动和教育活动，扩大各级科学和工程领域的参与- K-12，本科生，研究生和有抱负的教师。高中实习和研究机会将为代表性不足的学生准备科学和工程学院的途径。将为女研究生和博士后开展辅导活动，重点是分享经验和持续对话。多样化的教授，重点是软材料将有针对性地通过年度研讨会，扩大到包括协作，多学科研究的概念。 技术概述替代的合成方法对于利用生物质结构单元开发具有特殊机械功能和热性能的坚固聚合物材料至关重要。木质素纤维素生物质，特别是木质素级分，是用于大分子设计的多样化、丰富且廉价的前体的有吸引力的来源。双愈创木酚，如新开发的双愈创木酚A（BGA）--一种完全生物基的、甲氧基取代的双酚A（BPA）类似物--是设计具有增强性能的聚合物系统的稳健且潜在更安全的组分。以木质素为主要合成前体，研究员将研究以下策略，以设计可持续的生物基聚合物材料-具有增强材料性能的聚砜（PSF）和聚氨酯（PU）：（i）合成新的双愈创木酚类似物，以替代BPA用于聚合;（ii）开发“绿色”PU合成方案;（iii）探索生物质来源对热机械行为的影响;（iv）构建结构-性能-加工关系;（v）这些基于双愈创木酚的聚合物的毒性评估;（vi）检查双愈创木酚衍生的PU网络的可再加工性;以及（vii）探索增材制造条件和用于放大的后功能化策略。在材料科学，高分子化学和化学工程的专业知识将推动这个基础研究计划，跨越不同的木质素来源，可持续建筑模块的合成，大分子设计和表征，以及为各种应用制造“绿色”聚合物。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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.