To extend our natural oil supplies, we must harness sustainable feedstocks that do not rely on petroleum for the production of useful reagents and polymers. In this regard, chemicals derived from plants are excellent candidates because they can be produced indefinitely and possess functional group diversity. While the vast majority of plant sources used for polymer science only contain CxHyOz,1–6 alkaloids such as caffeine, nicotine, and theophylline possess nitrogen functionality that can provide new functions not normally possible. This approach for replacing petroleum-derived sources has yet to be realized. In this context, we explore the use of theophylline, an alkaloid produced naturally in tea leaves and cacao trees, for polymer science applications. We demonstrate the first alkaloid-derived polyelectrolyte, their synthesis, and applications for nanoparticle synthesis, stabilization, and microsphere fabrication.

Plants to polyelectrolytes: Theophylline polymers and their microsphere synthesis

254th National Meeting (2017)

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