Issue 15, 2024

Engineering lignin-derivable diacrylate networks with tunable architecture and mechanics

Abstract

Network engineering strategies offer a promising pathway toward tunable thermomechanical properties of bio-derivable, aromatic (meth)acrylate thermosets to expand their application library. In this work, a series of acrylate thermosets, synthesized from lignin-derivable vanillyl alcohol/bisguaiacol F diacrylates (VDA/BGFDA) and a bio-based n-butyl acrylate (BA), were designed as a sustainable platform to explore structure-architecture-property relationships. Using this approach, we examined a series of processable, fully bio-derivable acrylates. Increasing the diacrylate content across all networks improved storage moduli at 25 °C (E25) by up to 2 GPa (1.1 GPa for VDA/BA-25/75 vs. 3.1 GPa for VDA/BA-75/25, and 1.5 GPa for BGFDA/BA-25/75 vs. 1.7 GPa for BGFDA/BA-50/50), and led to a more inhomogeneous network as evidenced by lower acrylate group conversion and a broader tan δ peak, indicating heterogeneous relaxation modes. Modifying the aromatic content of the starting diacrylate impacted the final inhomogeneity of the network, with increasing inhomogeneity observed for the bis-aromatic BGFDA relative to the mono-aromatic VDA. Similarly, combining the mono- and bis-aromatic diacrylates generated a network with a biphasic-like thermal relaxation mode. By correlating network architecture and material performance, the increasing architectural complexity suggested a more convoluted thermal relaxation mode while the enhancement of thermomechanical properties could still be achieved for potential application as damping materials. Overall, we presented a design strategy utilizing bio-derivable acrylates to expand the suite of renewable material platforms from a network engineering perspective.

Graphical abstract: Engineering lignin-derivable diacrylate networks with tunable architecture and mechanics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 2月 2024
Accepted
23 6月 2024
First published
03 7月 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Mater. Adv., 2024,5, 6070-6080

Engineering lignin-derivable diacrylate networks with tunable architecture and mechanics

Y. Wong and L. T. J. Korley, Mater. Adv., 2024, 5, 6070 DOI: 10.1039/D4MA00159A

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