Brantley Lab Publishes in ACS Macro Letters
The Brantley Lab published their article “Controlled Polymerization of β-Pinadiene: Accessing Unusual Polymer Architectures with Biomass-Derived Monomers” in ACS Macro Letters. Alan Fried, graduate student in the Brantley Lab, is the primary author of this work.
Biomass-derived polymers are emerging as critically needed alternatives to their petrochemical counterparts. Terpenes, which are among the most abundant natural products, represent particularly fertile chemical space for monomer development.
“Here, we present the living vinyl-addition polymerization of β-pinadiene at room temperature,” Fried said. “Employing [(π-allyl)NiOCOCF3]2 as a catalyst afforded the desired polymers with good control over molecular weight and dispersity.”
The research shows the bicyclic pinane core was retained in the isolated materials and the reported materials exhibited impressive thermal stability and high glass transition temperatures.
“As the polymerization of terpene-derived cumulenes can afford scaffolds that defy current synthetic logic, we anticipate our work will unlock additional avenues for sustainable polymer development,” Fried said.
