Growing environmental and economic concerns as well as the uncertainty that accompanies finite petrochemical resources caused an increase in recent years in research and development of bio-based, renewable polymer materials. To replace petroleum-derived materials, bio-based polymers are directly produced, or, their monomers are derived from renewable sources and later polymerized. In order to determine if lignin, a highly abundant and renewable resource, could serve as a basis for bio-based conductive polymers, fractions of Kraft lignin and lignin-derived monomers were functionalized and subsequently polymerized with multi-functional thiol monomers. Powdered Kraft lignin was fractionated and characterized before imparted with allyl functionalities and used in a thiol-ene polymerization. Lignin-derived monomer vanillyl alcohol (4-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol) was also functionalized and UV-polymerized to yield thin, flexible polymers. Sheet resistivities of the polymers were determined according to a four-point probe method by applying a current to the thin film polymers and measuring the resulting voltage. This study adds to the list of synthesis methods of lignin-based polymers and provides insight on how to design structurally and thermally desirable bio-based polymers for battery applications.

Bio-based thiol-ene polymers for use in battery applications: Synthesis and properties

255th National Meeting (2018)

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