Eugenol-Based Epoxy Vitrimers: Caffeine and Zinc Acetate as Potential Alternative Catalysts in Curing Kinetics and Dynamic Network Properties

TL;DR

This study explores using caffeine and zinc acetate as catalysts in making sustainable, recyclable materials from eugenol-based epoxy vitrimers.

Contribution

The paper introduces caffeine and zinc acetate as alternative catalysts for eugenol-based vitrimers, comparing their effects on dynamic network properties.

Findings

Zinc acetate at 10% concentration showed the lowest activation energy and highest crosslinking density.

Caffeine reduced activation energy and promoted rapid epoxide conversion at moderate temperatures.

Both catalysts improved dynamic properties, with zinc acetate being more efficient than caffeine.

Abstract

The development of sustainable vitrimers from bio-based sources addresses the need for high-performance recyclable materials. This research describes eugenol-derived epoxy vitrimers cross-linked with adipic acid as a curing agent, focusing on comparative effects of caffeine and zinc acetate as transesterification catalysts at 5 and 10% concentrations versus a non-catalyzed control. Both catalysts acted as curing accelerators, confirmed by FTIR and DSC analyses, revealing polyhydroxyester network formation through associative ester exchange enabling topological reorganization. Zinc acetate at 10% proved most efficient, achieving the lowest apparent activation energy (116.0 kJ/mol), highest crosslinking density (νe = 3.42 × 10−3 mol/cm3), improved thermal stability with unimodal degradation profile, and substantially reduced topology freezing transition temperature (Tv = 132 °C), confirming enhanced dynamic properties. Caffeine demonstrated catalytic activity, reducing apparent activation energy to 124.4 kJ/mol at 10% and promoting rapid epoxide conversion during initial curing at moderate temperatures. Although its catalytic efficiency is moderate compared to zinc acetate, its bio-based origin and non-toxic nature make it a promising green alternative for sustainable vitrimer applications. Results demonstrate that catalyst selection is crucial for tailoring curing kinetics, network structure, and final vitrimeric properties, providing key guidelines for designing advanced circular materials from bio-based precursors.

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