In this study, bifurfural, an inedible biobased chemical and a second-generation biomass, was polymerized with several diamines using an environmentally benign process, and the chemical structures of the resulting poly(Schiff base)s were analyzed. Because furan rings, which are only produced from biomass and not from fossil resources, endow polymers with unique properties that include high rigidity and expanded π-conjugation, bifurfural, which contains two furan rings, is of significant interest as a biobased building block. 1 H NMR, IR, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectra of the poly(Schiff base)s reveal that they are composed of mixtures of linear and cyclic structures. The UV–vis spectroscopy and molecular orbital theory confirm the extended π-conjugation in the bifurfural/ p -phenylenediamine poly(Schiff base) system. Poly(Schiff base)s composed of bifurfural and 1,3-propanediamine, 1,4-butandiamine, 1,5-pentanediamine, and 1,6-hexanediamine were molded at 120 °C into films that exhibited good strengths and were tough to bend. These results indicate that bifurfural-based poly(Schiff base)s are promising biobased materials.

No abstract

No abstract

Next generation polymers needs to be produced from renewable sources and to be converted into inorganic compounds in the natural environment at the end of life. Recombinant structural protein is a promising alternative to conventional engineering plastics due to its good thermal and mechanical properties, its production from biomass, and its potential for biodegradability. Herein, we measured the thermal and mechanical properties of the recombinant structural protein BP1 and evaluated its biodegradability. Because the thermal degradation occurs above 250 °C and the glass transition temperature is 185 °C, BP1 can be molded into sheets by a manual hot press at 150 °C and 83 MPa. The flexural strength and modulus of BP1 were 115 ± 6 MPa and 7.38 ± 0.03 GPa. These properties are superior to those of commercially available biodegradable polymers. The biodegradability of BP1 was carefully evaluated. BP1 was shown to be efficiently hydrolyzed by some isolated bacterial strains in a dispersed state. Furthermore, it was readily hydrolyzed from the solid state by three isolated proteases. The mineralization was evaluated by the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)-biodegradation testing with soil inocula. The BOD biodegradability of BP1 was 70.2 ± 6.0 after 33 days.