Catalytic Approaches to Monomers for Polymers Based on Renewables

TLDR

Polymers, used from everyday items to aerospace materials, depend on monomers largely derived from diminishing fossil resources. This review surveys catalytic strategies to produce existing and novel monomers from renewable bio‑based feedstocks and platform chemicals. The review is organized by monomer class—diacids, esters, diols, hydroxy acids, lactones, carbonates, cyclic ethers, diamines, amino acids, lactams, alkenes, acrylics, and conjugated dienes—and discusses homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biocatalytic routes, excluding fermentative processes.

Abstract

Polymers are used in simple consumer items like carpets, furniture, glues, and clothing but are also used in advanced engineering, including materials used in the aerospace industry. Therefore, polymers and consequently their monomers play an important role in our everyday life. Currently, most of the monomers are produced from fossil resources, the supply of which is diminishing. In this paper we review strategies and catalytic processes to obtain currently used and potentially new monomers from renewable bio-based feedstocks and platform chemicals. This Review is divided by type of monomer and includes diacids and esters, diols, hydroxy acids and esters, lactones, carbonates, cyclic ethers, diamines, amino acids and lactams, alkenes, acrylics, and conjugated dienes. Only routes based on the use of homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, or bio-catalysis are described. Fermentative processes are not discussed.