Synthesis and characteristics properties of lignified PVA copolymer with enhanced UV-blocking performance and water solubility

The increasing environmental concerns have heightened the pursuit of sustainable materials, with a particular emphasis on biodegradable polymers. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a recognized biodegradable synthetic polymer, faces challenges such as cost, slow biodegradation, and limited UV resistance. This study explores lignin, an abundant and eco-friendly biopolymer, as a cost-effective additive to enhance PVA properties via the copolymerization technique. The Mannich reaction was utilized to effectively alkylate lignin with allylthiourea, leading to the synthesis of a lignin-based macromonomer (LATU). Subsequently, the LATU macromonomer was copolymerized with vinyl acetate, producing Poly(VAc-Co-LATU) copolymer in a reaction conducted at 70 °C for 6 h. Finally, the copolymers were hydrolyzed (saponification) with potassium hydroxide to obtain Poly(VA-Co-LATU) copolymers. Extensive investigations, including FTIR, XPS, XRD, and ¹H NMR, effectively validated the synthesis of the copolymers. The high monomer conversion rate above 89 % emphasizes the effectiveness of the synthesis method. The addition of LATU has a direct impact on the crystalline structure of the copolymer. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate a reduction in crystallinity, which in turn affects the other properties of the synthesized copolymers. Consequently, the lignified copolymer, Poly(VA-co-LATU), exhibited slight decrease in molecular weight (Mw), improved UV-blocking effectiveness, and greater solubility in water as comparison to PVA. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using lignin as a monomer to create novel bio-based polymeric materials that exhibit the necessary properties for certain applications.