Showcasing current innovations in sustainable polymers presents an opportunity to apply green chemistry concepts. Furthermore, students are exposed to the importance of a circular economy and the United Nations Sustainable Goal of responsible production and consumption. Herein, we present a teaching lab experiment highlighting several green chemistry principles including the usage of renewable feedstocks, high atom economy, energy efficient synthesis, waste prevention, and using water as a benign solvent. This experiment creates a biobased hydrogel derived from either lactose or sucrose, natural disaccharides which can be sourced from dairy waste or sugarcane feedstocks. The carbohydrate monomers are appended with photoreactive methyl methacrylate groups that are crosslinked to generate a hydrogel with tunable physical properties by varying the crosslinking density. Structure-property relationships are assessed through comparative studies that involve performing compression tests to measure the modulus of elasticity, and water uptake analysis at different pH. Using two different disaccharide monomers adds an inquiry-based approach to the experiment. Additionally, the comparison of the disaccharide methacrylate hydrogels to commercially available products highlight the importance of evaluating competitive properties. Classroom implementations at the University of Minnesota and Augsburg University will be shared including student results, learning outcomes, and critique of the experiment.

From dairy waste to sustainable hydrogels: An advanced polymer teaching lab experiment

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.