N-heterocyclic Carbene Catalysed Polymerisation of 2,5-Diformylfuran

The biobased renewable monomer 2,5-diformylfuran is polymerised using various N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) affording a low molar mass polymer. It is shown that catalyst structure as well as the temperature and time the polymerization is running have a noticeable effect on its molar mass. The obtained material is characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). An attempt at chain extension with diamine leads to precipitation of the polymer. This new biobased polymer material might be useful as a sustainable resin