Emulsion Polymerization of Dihydroeugenol-, Eugenol-, and Isoeugenol-Derived Methacrylates

The use of biobased monomers in emulsion polymerization arises as an attractive option for the synthesis of green polymers. Eugenol, a naturally occurring phenol that is currently mainly produced from clove oil but could also be obtained by depolymerization of lignin, is an interesting molecule for the preparation of biobased monomers and polymers. Readily polymerizable functional groups can be easily introduced into its chemical structure through modification of the phenol group. In the present work, eugenol-based methacrylates have been used as monomers in emulsion radical polymerization with different initiation systems. Stable latexes of poly(ethoxy dihydroeugenyl methacrylate), poly(ethoxy eugenyl methacrylate) and poly(ethoxy isoeugenyl methacrylate) with particle diameter size in the 45-71 nm range were successfully obtained. Glass transition temperatures of the resulting polymers ranged between 20 and 72 °C. This study opens the way to the use of these new biobased monomers into latexes formulation for adhesives and coatings applications.