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.