Synthesis, Characterization, and Proton Conductivity of Muconic Acid-Based Polyamides Bearing Sulfonated Moieties.

Most commercially available polymers are synthesized from compounds derived from petroleum, a finite resource. Because of this, there is a growing interest in the synthesis of new polymeric materials using renewable monomers. Following this concept, this work reports on the use of muconic acid as a renewable source for the development of new polyamides that can be used as proton-exchange membranes.

Synthesis and Characterization of Thiol-Functionalized Polynorbornene Dicarboximides for Heavy Metal Adsorption from Aqueous Solution.

The contamination of water resources with heavy metals is a very serious concern that demands prompt and effective attention due to the serious health risks caused by these contaminants. The synthesis and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene dicarboximides bearing thiol pendant groups, specifically, -4-thiophenyl--norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide (), -4-(methylthio)phenyl--norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide () and -4-(trifluoromethylthio)phenyl--norbornene-5,6-dicarboximide (), as well as their assessment for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous systems, is addressed in this work. The polymers were characterized by NMR, SEM and TGA, among others.