Obtention of biobased vitrimers derived from vegetable oils and limonene

• Grant number: 24/19476-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Carlos da Silva Filho
• Grantee: Caroline Gaglieri
• Supervisor: Orietta Monticelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00779-2 - Application of rosin acids and their derivatives to produce polymers by additive manufacture and in cyclic carbonates syntheses, BP.PD

Abstract

The present project aims to use biomasses such as grape seed oil (triglyceride), jojoba oil (a fatty chain) and limonene (terpene) to produce renewable-based polymeric vitrimers. The biomasses will be used without purification aiming to facilitate a possible scale up process. Firstly, they will be epoxidized, aiming to increase their chemical reactivity. Then, they can undergo two distinct processes: firstly, in thiol¿epoxy "Click" reaction. In the second and independent process the epoxidized biomasses will be reacted with diacids molecules. All renewable-based polymeric materials will be characterized, and it is expected that they present vitrimeric properties, which allows their recovery contributing with the Circular Economy and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, proposed by the UN (United Nations); specifically with the 12th goal "Responsible Consumption and Production".