UV-cured multifunctional coating resins prepared from renewable thiolactone derivatives

A set of multifunctional UV-cured thiol-ene polymer resins were systematically prepared from thiolactone containing monomers and different amine compounds. Aminolysis of the thiolactone moiety enabled the introduction of different side chains and cross-linkers into the polymers. The glass transition temperature of the polymers varied between 22 and 90 °C, depending on the type and molar ratio of amine-containing compounds relative to the monomer. The properties of the UV-cured thin films were screened using standard tests for coatings, including pencil hardness, impact resistance, and cross-hatch adhesion. Thiolactone-derived polymer films exhibited high transparency of 90%, pencil hardness in the range of 3B-HB, high impact resistance >2 kg m, and good adhesion to steel in dry conditions.