5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Based Polymers

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a renewable resource based potentialplatform chemical useful in the synthesis of polymers. This versatilesix carbon furan system with primary alcohol and aldehyde groups canbe prepared from the triple dehydration of hexoses, which are producedfrom depolymerization of the major cellulosic fraction of abundant lignocellulosicbiomass. A verity of monomers suitable for polymer synthesiscan be prepared from HMF by adjusting the oxidation states of the functionalgroups and simple derivatization methods. Some of the well studiedderivatives of HMF includes; 2/5-bis(formyl)furan/ 2,5-furandicarboxylicacid, 2,5-furandicarboxylicacid dichloride, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan,2,5-bis(aminomethyl)furan, furanic diesters and furanic diisocyanates.Recent progress in the synthesis, characterization, and physical propertiesstudies of the poly-Schiff-base, polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, polybenzoimidazole,and polyoxadiazole type furanic polymers from theseHMF derived monomers will be discussed in this chapter.© 2012 Scrivener Publishing LLC