We prepared highly ion conducting polymer electrolytes with a high lithium transference number (t_Li⁺) using organoborane-modified polybenzimidazole (B-PBI) and an ionic liquid (IL), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide (BMImTFSI). The structural characteristics of these electrolytes were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermo-gravimetric analysis and dynamic viscosity measurements were used to investigate the thermal and rheological properties of the electrolytes. Unlike other solid polymer electrolyte systems, the addition of lithium salts was not required in the case of the electrolytes prepared in this study as the molecular designing already incorporates lithium. The amount of BMImTFSI (w/w%) affected the ion transport behaviour of the composite polymer electrolytes. The ionic conductivity of the electrolytes increased with an increase in the IL content. The electrolyte with B-PBI/BMImTFSI (w/w%) (25/75) showed the highest conductivity of 8.8 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 51 °C. It also showed the highest t_Li⁺ value of 0.63 at room temperature with a wider electrochemical potential window of 5.45 V. The composite electrolytes were employed in anodic half-cells (Si/electrolyte/Li), and they showed a high reversible capacity up to 1300 mA h g⁻¹ which was retained even at a high charging rate. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed before and after the charge–discharge measurements to confirm the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interface with B-PBI/BMImTFSI (w/w%).

Production of bioplastics from renewable biological resources is a prerequisite for the development of a circular and sustainable society. Current bioplastics are mostly heat‐sensitive aliphatic polymers, requiring thermoresistant aromatic bioplastics. Herein, 3‐amino‐4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA) and 4‐aminobenzoic acid (ABA) are produced from kraft pulp, an inedible cellulosic feedstock, using metabolically engineered bacteria. AHBA is chemically converted to 3,4‐diaminobenzoic acid (DABA); subsequently, poly(2,5‐benzimidazole) is obtained by the polycondensation of DABA and processed into an ultrahigh thermoresistant film. The copolymerization of DABA with a small amount of ABA dramatically increases the degradation temperatures of the resulting films (over 740 °C) to yield the most thermoresistant plastic on record. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the incorporation of ABA strengthens the interchain hydrogen bonds between aromatic imidazole rings. Thus, an alternative organic molecular design is proposed for thermoresistant plastics without using heavy inorganics, although continuous aromatic heterocycles are widely considered ideal for polymer thermoresistance. This innovative macromolecular design increases thermoresistance and can be widely applied to well‐processable plastics for the production of lightweight materials and is expected to contribute to the development of a more sustainable society.

The development of high-performance bio-based copolymers such as poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) for paints and coating applications is indispensable to the establishment of a sustainable green society, but it is challenging due to the incompatibility of their syntheses of methacrylic acid (MAA) from biomass. The decarboxylation of biomass-derived itaconic acid, aconitic acid and citric acid to MAA has been studied using a variety of heterogeneous catalysts. Among different tested catalysts, spinel BaAl12O19 chemical substance was found to grant an additional active catalysis, it optimized selectivity, and a 50% synthesis yield of MAA was achieved. As-synthesized MAA vinyl monomer has been consequently utilised for the production of a chain-growth poly(St-co-BA-co-MAA) copolymer, industrially-manufactured for coating, adhesive and paint end-user applications. The latexes’ physical properties of bio-MAA-incorporated structured polymers have also been compared with a copolymerized commercial poly(St-co-BA-co-MAA) terpolymer, fabricated from petroleum-based MAA. The functional group distribution, measured molecular weight (Mw), determined polydispersity index (ĐM), glass transition temperature (Tg) and integrated solid content (wS) of copolymerization poly(St-co-BA-co-MAA) constituent units were comparable with benchmarks.

High-molecular-weight polypeptides with functional aromatic side chains, poly(4-amino- l -phenylalanine), were prepared by the metal-initiated polymerization of the N ^α -carboxyanhydride of the corresponding amino acid, which is a microbial derivative of phenylalanine.