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

在化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学项目的支持下，托马斯H. Epps，III和Michael T.特拉华州大学的Klein和罗文大学的Joseph Stanzione教授将合作开发将木质素生物油转化为聚合物的合成途径和计算工具。这项研究旨在解决利用自然和可再生资源制造新型塑料材料的巨大挑战，而不会消耗食品或其他商业资源生产。 通过本研究生产的木质素基聚合物在油漆，表面涂料和其他复合材料中具有潜在的用途。 该项目为学生提供研究机会，包括代表性不足的本科生和经济困难的高中生，在一个合作的实验室环境中，让学生接触到制造新的“生物可再生”塑料的现代概念。该项目的重点是开发有效和具有成本效益的方法，从基于木质素的可再生资源中生产“设计师塑料”，纸浆和造纸工业的廉价和天然废物产品。该项目的主要任务包括：1）基于木质素的生物油组成作为热解条件和木材组成/来源的可变性的函数的计算建模：2）单独或共同地官能化生物油的主要组分以从木质素废物流生成通用单体库; 3）均聚物的合成（来自单一类型的木质素改性的单体）或杂聚物（由生物油混合物中的木质素改性单体）; 4）通过自由基聚合形成杂聚物的动力学研究;和5）嵌段共聚物的可调纳米结构的设计和制备，所述嵌段共聚物潜在地用作热塑性弹性体和压敏粘合剂。

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.