Bio-based bisfuran: synthesis, crystal structure, and low molecular weight amorphous polyester

Discovery of renewable monomer feedstocks for fabrication of polymeric demand is critical in achieving sustainable materials. In the present work we have synthesized bisfuran diol (BFD) monomer from furfural, over four steps. BFD was examined via X-ray crystallography to understand the molecular arrangement in space, hydrogen bonding, and packing of the molecules. These data were further used to compare BFD with structurally related bisphenol A (BPA), and its known derivatives to predict the potential estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activities in BFD. Further, BFD was reacted with succinic acid to generate polyester material, bisfuran polyester (BFPE-1). MALDI characterization of BFPE-1 indicates low molecular weight polyester and thermal analysis reveals amorphous nature of the material.