Novel Bio-Based Materials: From Castor Oil to Epoxy Resins for Engineering Applications.

The paper presents the synthesis and thermal behavior of novel epoxy resins prepared from epoxidized castor oil in the presence of or without trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMP) crosslinked with 3-hexahydro-4-methylphtalic anhydride (MHHPA) and their comparison with a petroleum-based epoxy resin (MHHPA and TMP). Epoxidized castor oil (ECO) was obtained via in situ epoxidation of castor oil with peroxyacetic acid. The chemical structures of castor oil (CO), ECO, and epoxy matrix were confirmed using FT-IR and H-NMR spectroscopy.

Fluorescence Modulation and Photochromism in Azobismaleimide Derivatives.

A fluorophore-photochrome system incorporating an aryleneimine type fluorophore and an azobismaleimide photochrome was developed and the photochemical properties of this system were investigated. The photoisomerization of trans-azoaromatic chromophore leads to the increase of the fluorescence intensity of fluorophore. The cis azobismaleimide isomers revert photochemically to the trans form and the emission intensity decreases.

Optical properties of some new azo photoisomerizable bismaleimide derivatives.

Novel polythioetherimides bearing azobenzene moieties were synthesized from azobismaleimides and bis-2-mercaptoethylether. Kinetics of trans-cis photoisomerization and of thermal conversion of cis to trans isomeric forms were investigated in both polymer solution and poly(methyl methacrylate) doped films using electronic absorption spectroscopy. Thermal recovery kinetics is well described by a two-exponential relation both in solution and polymer matrix, while that of low molecular weight azobismaleimide fit a first-order equation.