Issue 29, 2021

Recent developments towards performance-enhancing lignin-based polymers

Abstract

Fossil fuels are a cheap and abundant feedstock for polymeric materials that have enabled innumerable quality-of-life improvements. Yet, their declining supply and non-renewable nature have driven the pursuit of bio-based alternatives. Lignin represents the largest natural source of aromatic carbon on the planet, and thus, lignin-derived products have emerged as critical elements in the next generation of polymers. The relative abundance, large concentration of functional handles, and thermal stability of lignin make it an attractive target for bio-based polymers. However, the valorization of lignin to high-performance and cost-competitive materials remains a challenge. In this review, developments in the translation of lignin into value-added macromolecular components are discussed. Strategies to incorporate bulk lignin in polymer blends and composites are introduced with a focus on applications. Furthermore, recent advances in the preparation of higher-value thermoplastics, thermosets, and vitrimers from deconstructed lignin products are highlighted from a synthetic perspective. Finally, key hurdles and future opportunities in lignin valorization are explored.

Graphical abstract: Recent developments towards performance-enhancing lignin-based polymers

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
24 Maijs 2021
Accepted
05 Jūl. 2021
First published
06 Jūl. 2021

Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 4130-4158

Author version available

Recent developments towards performance-enhancing lignin-based polymers

G. F. Bass and T. H. Epps, Polym. Chem., 2021, 12, 4130 DOI: 10.1039/D1PY00694K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements