Synthesis of thiolactone building blocks as potential precursors for sustainable functional materials

Abstract

A library of multifunctional monomers from homocysteine thiolactone and thioparaconic acid were synthesized using straightforward chemistry routes. A generic protocol was developed, leading to multi-gram amounts of the targeted compounds and enabling up-scaling experiments for promising compounds in the area of functional coatings. Aspects considered during selection of targets and synthesis pathways included functional diversity, expected physical properties, sustainability and commercial availability of reagents, as well as feasibility to achieve an industrially relevant process. Trends were observed in yield, physical properties and chemical behavior.