A chemical platform approach on cardanol oil: from the synthesis of building blocks to polymer synthesis

Abstract

This review proposes a platform approach for the synthesis of various building blocks from cardanol oil in one or two-steps synthesis. Cardanol is a natural phenol issued from Cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL). CNSL is a non-edible renewable resource, co-produced from cashew industry in large commercial volumes. Cardanol is non-toxic and particularly suitable as an aromatic renewable resource for polymers and materials. Various routes were used for the synthesis of di- and poly-functional building blocks used thereafter in polymer syntheses. Phenolation was used to dimerize/oligomerize cardanol to propose increase functionality of cardanol. Thio-ene was used to synthesize new reactive amines. Epoxidation and (meth)acrylation were also used to insert oxirane or (meth)acrylate groups in order to synthesize polymers and materials.