In Situ Performic Acid Epoxidation of Polyfarnesene: Evidence of Oxirane Ring Instability and Its Impact on Multifunctional Polymer Composition.

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Title: In Situ Performic Acid Epoxidation of Polyfarnesene: Evidence of Oxirane Ring Instability and Its Impact on Multifunctional Polymer Composition.
Authors: Porto, Geilza A.1 (AUTHOR), Paula, Luiz Guilherme A. de1,2 (AUTHOR), Batista, Luciano N.1,2 (AUTHOR), Dias, Marcos L.1,2 (AUTHOR) mldias@ima.ufrj.br
Source: Polymers (20734360). Apr2026, Vol. 18 Issue 7, p844. 18p.
Subjects: Epoxidation, Branched polymers, Chemical stability, Biomimetic polymers, Polymers
Abstract: Polyfarnesene, a bio-based polymer, was epoxidized in situ using performic acid to investigate oxirane ring formation, stability, and the role of its bottlebrush architecture in the kinetics. The reaction reached a maximum epoxidation degree of ~20% after 6 h but underwent side reactions, producing hydroxyl and formic ester groups. FTIR and 1H NMR revealed that ring opening began within the first hour, whereas residual unsaturated bonds persisted after prolonged reaction, owing to steric shielding by the polymer's long C11–C13 side chains. Unlike smaller polydiene homologues, polyfarnesene exhibited slower ring-opening kinetics, retaining approximately 10% of oxirane groups after 20 h. GPC showed minimal molecular weight changes but an increase in polydispersity, confirming structural rearrangements without chain scission or crosslinking. DSC demonstrated that oxirane incorporation increased the Tg; however, side reactions reduced this effect by limiting chain mobility. These findings establish that the spatial constraints imposed by the bottlebrush architecture of polyfarnesene govern the reaction kinetics, restricting epoxidation efficiency and favoring esterification pathways. This interplay provides a basis for designing bio-based polymers with tunable thermal properties. Controlling the reaction environment to suppress side reactions is key to producing high-Tg epoxidized derivatives suitable for rubber technologies and sustainable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: In Situ Performic Acid Epoxidation of Polyfarnesene: Evidence of Oxirane Ring Instability and Its Impact on Multifunctional Polymer Composition.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Polymers+%2820734360%29%22">Polymers (20734360)</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 18 Issue 7, p844. 18p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Epoxidation%22">Epoxidation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Branched+polymers%22">Branched polymers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chemical+stability%22">Chemical stability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biomimetic+polymers%22">Biomimetic polymers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polymers%22">Polymers</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Polyfarnesene, a bio-based polymer, was epoxidized in situ using performic acid to investigate oxirane ring formation, stability, and the role of its bottlebrush architecture in the kinetics. The reaction reached a maximum epoxidation degree of ~20% after 6 h but underwent side reactions, producing hydroxyl and formic ester groups. FTIR and 1H NMR revealed that ring opening began within the first hour, whereas residual unsaturated bonds persisted after prolonged reaction, owing to steric shielding by the polymer's long C11–C13 side chains. Unlike smaller polydiene homologues, polyfarnesene exhibited slower ring-opening kinetics, retaining approximately 10% of oxirane groups after 20 h. GPC showed minimal molecular weight changes but an increase in polydispersity, confirming structural rearrangements without chain scission or crosslinking. DSC demonstrated that oxirane incorporation increased the Tg; however, side reactions reduced this effect by limiting chain mobility. These findings establish that the spatial constraints imposed by the bottlebrush architecture of polyfarnesene govern the reaction kinetics, restricting epoxidation efficiency and favoring esterification pathways. This interplay provides a basis for designing bio-based polymers with tunable thermal properties. Controlling the reaction environment to suppress side reactions is key to producing high-Tg epoxidized derivatives suitable for rubber technologies and sustainable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Polymers (20734360) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/polym18070844
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Chemical stability
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      – TitleFull: In Situ Performic Acid Epoxidation of Polyfarnesene: Evidence of Oxirane Ring Instability and Its Impact on Multifunctional Polymer Composition.
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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