Polyamides Derived from Terpenes: Advances in Their Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

Abstract

Polyamides are very important polymers, with applications from commodities up to high-performance materials for, for example, fibers or for the biomedical sector. Nowadays, still most of them are synthesized from fossil resources. With regards to sustainability and bioeconomy, and especially regarding the new structures and properties that can thus be achieved, the preparation of polyamides (PAs) from natural precursors is getting more and more important. For this, especially the utilization of terpenes, a large and important group of natural products with different functions in nature (regulators, defense signals, etc.), is important, which is described herein. Similar approaches are interesting from a scientific point of view regarding, for example, structure-function-relations, but also with regards to different applications as, for example, high-performance or biomedical materials. Practical applications: Terpene-based polyamides can find many applications, from commodities up to high-performance fibers and special materials in (bio)medicine, for example, drug delivery, tissue engineering, etc.