Vinyl ethers is a group of monomers with several unique features that make them attractive for use in thermoset applications such as coatings and printing inks [1]. Vinyl ethers homopolymerize readily using cationic polymerization where they can be polymerized in the presence of oxygen. Vinyl ethers on the other hand do not homopolymerize to any larger extent when using free radical polymerization conditions. They do however free radically co-polymerize together with suitable co-monomers such as maleimides [2]. The very high reactivity of vinyl ethers in general may cause a problem when trying to incorporate this functionality in a thermoset resin structure often making the resin synthesis tedious and inefficient.<br/><br/>The present study describes how selective enzyme catalysis can be employed to make a variety of vinyl ether oligomers combining the vinyl ether group with other functionalities to form multifunctional thermoset resins that can be subsequently crosslinked and postfunctionalized. Utilizing lipase catalysis to esterify hydroxy vinyl ethers is demonstrated to be a very straight forward and efficient way to produce these oligomers. Final thermoset polymers with tailored properties can then be made.<br/>

New vinyl ether monomers via lipase catalysis towards cationically crosslinkable thermosets

2019 Spring National Meeting

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