Synthesis and Characterization of β‐Myrcene‐Styrene and β‐Ocimene‐Styrene Copolymers

The structure-properties relationships of sustainable materials derived from biomass-based monomers are investigated, focusing on hybrid styrene/terpene-based copolymers with blocky microstructures, such as beta-myrcene- and beta-ocimene-styrene copolymers. The samples show complex glass transition dynamics, as evidenced by the physical aging experienced by the amorphous phase in styrene-rich copolymers. The tendency of styrene- and terpene-rich sequences to give heterogeneous morphologies with correlation strength extending over 10-40 nm is outlined, through small-angle X-ray scattering analysis. A new class of terpene-based hybrid systems, holding promise for applications in surface coating technologies, is identified.Hybrid copolymers of myrcene and ocimene with styrene are synthesized using a cheap catalytic approach, based on a titanium complex. The samples are amorphous and possess a blocky microstructure, and the tendency of terpene- and styrene-rich sequences to give nanophase separation. This is evidenced by the analysis of the complex glass transition dynamics and small-angle X-ray scattering. image