Fully Bio-Based Polymers Derived from Acrylated Epoxidized Soybean Oil by Thiol-ene Reaction

: It has been estimated that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastics have been produced 12 over the past decades and about 60 % of plastics have ended up either in landfills or in the natural 13 environment. With the rapid growth of consumerism, research on innovative starting materials for 14 preparation of polymers may help to reduce the negative impact of petroleum-based plastic 15 materials on the global ecosystem and on animal and human health. Therefore, photochemical 16 thiol-ene coupling reaction of squalene was performed to obtain thiol functional groups. Then, 17 hexathiolated squalene was used as a cross-linker in UV curing reactions with acrylated epoxidized 18 soybean oil. Two photoinitiators, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone and ethylphenyl 19 (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphinate, were tested in different quantities. Rheological properties of 20 compositions were monitored by real time photorheometry. The obtained polymers were 21 characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. Polymers possessed 22 higher storage modulus and thermal characteristics due to the higher yield of insoluble fraction when ethylphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphinate was used as photoinitiator.