Mechanosynthesis and Polymerization of Biosourced Styrene Derivatives Based on Building Blocks of Lignin

Finding and developing new biosourced materials that can compete with the current petro-sourced ones are a top priority in order to transition to a more sustainable society. Although the preparation of biosourced polyesters or polyamides is quite well described, finding biosourced and sustainable alternatives to petro-sourced polystyrene is still challenging. Herein, we report the synthesis of polystyrenes prepared in three steps from vanillin, 4-hydrobenzaldehyde, and syringaldehyde, compounds that can be obtained through lignin depolymerization under oxidative conditions. The synthesis involves the conversion of these biosourced platforms into polymerizable styrene derivatives through a methylation of the hydroxyl group followed by an olefination of the aldehyde function. The monomers were first synthesized under conventional conditions using solvents. Then, the synthesis was improved from the sustainability point of view by using a ball mill under solventless conditions, generating much less waste in the process. The three monomers were then converted into biosourced homopolymers through free radical polymerization in bulk, providing functional polystyrene derivatives with thermal properties comparable to those of common petro-sourced polystyrene.