Thiol-Ene UV-Cured Biodegradable Coatings from α,ω-Diene Furanic Monomers

Biobased monomers are gaining significant attention in today’s global efforts toward sustainable development. C6-furanic platform chemicals, derived from biomass, are considered to be promising building blocks for biorefineries, offering the potential for the development of sustainable polymer materials. This study investigates the synthesis and photocuring of two biobased α,ω-diene furanic monomers─diallyl furandicarboxylate ester (All-FDE) and diallyl furanmethyl carbonate (All-FMC)─for use in UV-cured coatings. These monomers, derived from renewable resources and synthesized using green chemistry principles, were used in thiol-ene photocuring reactions with trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) as the thiol. Real-time FTIR and photo-DSC analyses showed rapid, near-complete conversion under UV light. All-FDE formulations exhibited higher glass transition temperatures (Tg) compared to All-FMC due to increased cross-linking density. Both materials were fully degradable in alkaline conditions, with All-FDE degrading faster. This research demonstrates the potential of biobased monomers for ecofriendly, degradable coatings via UV curing.