The use of petrochemical-based materials leads to significant environmental pollution and health issues. To address these challenges, it is crucial to develop methods aligned with the principles of green chemistry. Due to their high abundance and low cost, vegetable oils (VOs) are considered ideal renewable resources for the production of sustainable materials [1]. Introducing more reactive groups to vegetable oils is of great importance for achieving modularity, ease of modification, and faster reaction rates. The modification of vegetable oils can be readily achieved through "click chemistry," which aligns with the principles of green chemistry [2,3].
Michael addition reactions are the reactions that meet many criteria of "click" reactions. The Michael addition reaction of activated alkynes, in particular, proceeds under milder conditions and at faster reaction rates. These highly efficient and selective reactions are frequently employed in various applications and processes to achieve targeted outcomes [2,3].
In this study, a series of cross-linked thermosets were synthesized via the phenol-yne click reaction between propiolated castor oil-a bio-based platform previously developed by our group-and tannic acid, using DABCO as a catalyst at room temperature overnight. The resulting thermosets were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Gel content was assessed through acetone extraction and was found to exceed 90%, indicating a high degree of cross-linking. Further analyses, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile (stress-strain) testing, are planned to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of the materials. These biobased thermosets show potential for application in sustainable coating systems.