| Summary: | Due to the ever-growing need to reduce global carbon emissions , the need to replace traditionally petrochemically derived plastics has been growing exponentially. To solve this issue, research has been carried out on plant-based alternatives such as terpenes and terpenoids. Terpenes are a type of natural hydrocarbon which contains a carbon-carbon double bond which can be exploited for polymerisations. Many polymerisation reactions are also carried out in toxic and petrochemical based solvents, in order to reduce the environmental impact of these reactions, bio-based solvents have become a viable alternative.
This report describes the synthesis of terpene-based homopolymers and diblock copolymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation techniques in toluene and 2-MeTHF. These particular solvents were used as toluene is commonly used in solution polymerisations and 2-MeTHF is a bio-based alternative solvent. Control of polymerisation will be evaluated by altering the RAFT agent’s structure. The synthesis of bioderived tetrahydrogeraniol acrylate (THGA) monomer is reported, with its use as a precursor to diblock and random copolymers with methyl methacrylate (MMA). The reactivity ratio of the random copolymer of MMA and THGA was investigated. In further reactions we investigated replacing MMA with other terpene-based monomers. Two different monomers were tested, isobornyl methacrylate and alpha-pinene methacrylate. Initially we tested these monomers with butyl acrylate to form random and diblock copolymers, before creating random and diblock copolymers with THGA. The reactivity ratios of both random copolymers with THGA were investigated.
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