Recent Progress in Sustainable Polymers Obtained from Cyclic Terpenes: Synthesis, Properties, and Application Potential

The functionalization and polymerization of biobased monocyclic terpenes and their derivatives for the synthesis of sustainable polymers is described, especially in view of the synthetic routes and properties of the obtained macromolecular architectures. Comparison of these procedures and the obtained materials with "classical" oil-based approaches, and also with alternative biobased routes, gives interesting insights into the potential of these small terpene building-block structures for modern polymer science and technology. Small rings are making it big: Recent work on the utilization of small terpene molecules for the synthesis of advanced polymers is reviewed in terms of synthesis, properties, and application potential and placed into the context of sustainable chemistry. The studies described emphasize the increasing significance of these natural feedstocks for advanced materials applications.