A brief review of the use of limonene derivative as a promising monomer in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers

Abstract

Concerns surrounding the use of polymers from petrochemical sources have encouraged several research groups to develop polymers using chemical commodities from renewable resources. Limonene, a cyclic monoterpene found in several plants, presents itself as a viable monomer to various polymerization reactions, whether by free radicals, cationic or through the reaction of its derivatives by ring opening. This is because it displays double bonds that can be used in these reactions. According to a bibliographic investigation carried out, in general, the difficulties encountered in these reactions are addressed, which are regarding chain transfer, formation of by-products and stereo impediment, which affect the control of molar mass and, consequently, of the thermal properties of synthesized polymers. However, ring-opening copolymerizations using derived epoxides have demonstrated the possibility of obtaining renewable polymers with promising characteristics. Therefore, this review work aims to establish a bibliographic survey about recent studies using renewable raw materials, such as limonene and its derivatives, in an interesting and abundant chemical platform for the development of new sustainable polymers.