A supramolecular approach for converting renewable biomass into functional materials

The rational transformation and utilization of biomass have attracted increasing attention because of its high importance in sustainable development and green economy. In this study, we used a supramolecular approach to convert biomass into functional materials. Six biomass raw materials with distinct chemical structures and physical properties were copolymerized with thioctic acid (TA) to afford poly[TA-biomass]s. The solvent-free copolymerization leads to the convenient and quantitative fabrication of biomass-based versatile materials. The non-covalent bonding and reversible solid-liquid transitions in poly[TA-biomass]s endow them with diversified features, including thermal processability, 3D printing, wet and dry adhesion, recyclability, impact resistance, and antimicrobial activity. Benefiting from their good biocompatibility and nontoxicity, these biomass-based materials are promising candidates for biological applications. A supramolecular approach was applied to construct functional materials from natural biomass.