The use of Ru/C (5%-wt.) as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of fast pyrolysis oil was explored at 350 °C and 200 bar pressure in a batch reactor set-up with the main objective to determine the effect of the reaction time on the oil yield and elemental compositions of the product phases. Highest oil yields (65%-wt.) were obtained after 4 h using a 5%-wt. intake of catalyst on fast pyrolysis oil. Longer reaction times lead to a reduction of the oil yield due to the formation of gas phase components (methane, ethane, propane, CO/CO₂). A solvent–solvent extraction procedure was applied to gain insights into the molecular transformations during the catalytic hydrotreatment experiments. It appears that specifically the carbohydrate fraction is very reactive. The observations are rationalized by a set of reaction pathways for the various product phases.

Triglycerides and fatty acids in palm oil and their derivatives can be utilized as bio-based monomers for synthesizing polymers.

Polycaprolactone-g-glycidyl methacrylate (PCL-g-GMA), a reactive interfacial agent for PCL-starch blends, is synthesized using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) as reaction medium and relatively high molecular weight PCL (M_w = 50,000). Higher GMA and radical initiator intakes lead to higher functionalization degrees (FD) for PCL-g-GMA samples. A mathematical model is developed to describe the correlation between monomer and initiator intake and FD values. The model shows an excellent R²-value (0.978), which implies a good fit of the experimental data. Comparison of this model with a similar one for the reaction in the melt clearly indicates a better reaction efficiency in scCO₂. Furthermore, GPC results show that less degradation occurred for samples made in scCO₂. Finally, the use of the PCL-g-GMA made in scCO₂ (as interfacial agent) in ternary blend of PCL/starch/PCL-g-GMA results in better mechanical properties with respect to those obtained by using the same graft-copolymer as prepared in the melt.

Methyl oleate, methyl linoleate, and jatropha oil were fully epoxidized using in situ-generated performic acid. The epoxidized compounds were further reacted with furfurylamine in a solvent-free reaction to obtain furan-functionalized fatty esters which, then, functioned as oligomers for a network preparation. Thermoreversible crosslinking was obtained through a (retro) Diels–Alder reaction with bismaleimide, resulting in the formation of a brittle network for furan-functionalized methyl linoleate and jatropha oil. The furan-functionalized fatty esters were mixed with alternating (1,4)-polyketone reacted with furfurylamine (PK-Furan) for testing the mechanical and self-healing properties with DMTA and DSC, respectively. Full self-healing properties were found, and faster thermoreversibility kinetics were observed, compared to PK-Furan.

The anthrone-based dummy molecularly imprinted membrane (DIM) was successfully synthesized using a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) approach for the selective recognition and adsorption of fluorene and phenanthrene in aqueous systems. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful incorporation of functional groups, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a uniform porous morphology favorable for analyte diffusion. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated good thermal stability, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) analyses indicated an enhanced surface area and mesoporous structure that supported improved adsorption performance. Adsorption isotherm studies revealed favorable adsorption behavior, with the maximum adsorption capacities of the DIM calculated to be 130.857 mg/g for fluorene and 453.030 mg/g for phenanthrene. The imprinting factors (IFs) were approximately 2.01 for fluorene and 2.17 for phenanthrene, confirming the successful imprinting effect. The recovery values achieved were 86.61% for fluorene and 92.40% for phenanthrene, demonstrating the efficiency and selectivity of the fabricated membrane. These results highlight the potential application of the anthrone-based DIM in the environmental monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).