Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of oil-based functionalized polyolefins

The fabrication of functionalized polyolefin materials from renewable biomass is of great importance for sustainable development. In this study, we achieved direct copolymerization of plant oil-based copolymer monomers with ethylene using a dienyl phosphoribosulfonyl palladium catalyst (PO-Pd). Ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) functionalization was also performed using the hydroxyl group of the polymer. The incorporation of biomass groups can effectively modulate the surface and mechanical properties of the copolymers, and more importantly, these newly developed polymers are ideal tougheners for gutter oil. The excellent tunability of the self-complementary hydrogen bonding network (UPy) allows the achievement of a range of interesting mechanical properties including self-reinforcement and high mechanical damping. This strategy establishes the groundwork for further research into value-added applications of plant oils and encourages new applications in the field of multifunctional smart materials.