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

聚氨酯在从体育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。通常使用石油原料制造，聚合物（如聚氨酯）的持续使用受到可回收性和环境影响等问题的影响。将生物质转化为增值聚合物是开发具有可比性能和更低成本的材料的有前途的途径，并且可以设计为最佳的产品生命周期。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产方法，并研究木材多样性对材料性能和环境影响的影响。这些生物衍生聚合物在膜、弹性体和泡沫等方面具有潜在的应用前景。新材料设计背景下的可持续性将作为一个框架，通过战略合作伙伴关系、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未被充分代表的学生进入理工科大学做准备。将实施女研究生和博士后指导活动，重点是分享经验和持续对话。将通过年度研讨会使教授多样化，重点放在软材料上，并扩大到包括协作和多学科研究的概念。技术概述：在开发具有特殊机械功能和热性能的坚固聚合物材料中，利用生物质构建块的替代合成方法至关重要。木质纤维素生物质，特别是木质素部分，是一个有吸引力的来源，多样的，丰富的，廉价的大分子设计前体。双愈创木酚，如新开发的双愈创木酚A (BGA)，是一种完全基于生物的，甲氧基取代的双酚A （BPA）类似物，对于设计具有增强性能的聚合物系统来说，是一种强大且潜在更安全的成分。利用基于木质素的生物质作为主要合成前体，pi将研究以下策略，以设计具有增强材料性能的生物基聚合物材料-聚砜（PSFs）和聚氨酯（pu）的可持续路线：(i)合成新的双愈创木酚类似物，用于聚合的bpa替代品；（ii）制订“绿色”聚氨酯合成方案；（三）探索生物质来源对热力学行为的影响；（iv）结构-属性-加工关系的构建；(v)这些双愈创木酚基聚合物的毒性评估；（vi）双愈创木酚衍生PU网络的再加工性检验；（vii）探索增材制造条件和规模化后功能化策略。材料科学、高分子化学和化学工程方面的专业知识将推动这一基础研究项目，该项目涵盖了多种木质素来源、可持续构建模块的合成、大分子设计和表征、该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，认为值得支持。

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.