Dimerization of abietic acid for the design of renewable polymers by ADMET

• Diacid dimers of abietic acid were synthesized and purified.
• Diacid dimers of abietic acid were converted into bisunsaturated compounds.
• Bisunsaturated dimers of abietic acid were (co)polymerized by ADMET.

Cationic dimerization of abietic acid, a resource from tall oil or pines, was investigated. Diacid dimers were obtained in good yields and isolated from abietic acid. These diacids were esterified with undecenol to give bisunsaturated derivatives. The latter were then homopolymerized or copolymerized with undecenyl undecenoate employing ADMET methodology, leading to thermoplastic polymers with molar mass up to 40,000 g/mol. While the copolymers exhibit melting points around 50 °C, the homopolymer of abietic acid dimer is amorphous with a Tg around 100 °C.

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