Itaconic Acid (IA) is a well established renewable resource, produced inexpensively and on large scales worldwide. Herein, we report catalytic, solvent-free transformations of IA into structurally diverse monomers. Subsequent polymerization through a step-growth process gives rise to both saturated and unsaturated polymers that can be further modified through crosslinking or chain extension to give almost 100% IA-derived thermosets and thermoplastics. Characterization of these materials with a variety of methods including tensile testing and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis provides insight into their behavior, establishing them as green alternatives to petroleum-based materials for various renewable applications.

Renewable thermosets and thermoplastics from itaconic acid

256th National Meeting (2018)

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