Synthesis of Bio-Based Methacrylic Polymer Using Camphor Terpene as a Renewable Resource

Sustainable polymers derived from biomass have the potential to reduce environmental impact while offering significant performance and cost advantages over petrochemical-derived macromolecules. We present here a facile and efficient approach to the synthesis of a biomethacrylic monomer: isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA) using the naturally available camphor terpene in the essential oil of the Algerian plant Artemisia arborescens (Absinthe) as a key intermediate. The essential oil of the aerial part of the Artemisia arborescens plant naturally distributed in northwest Algeria was isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques. Nine components were identified representing 90.7% of the total content. The main constituent of Artemisia arborescens essential oil is camphor (71.8%). Camphor was purified and modified to produce an 80% renewable carbon-based methacrylic monomer. This terpene-derived methacrylic monomer was free-radically polymerized to create a biosourced methacrylic polymer. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to characterize the structure of camphor terpene, isobornyl methacrylate and poly (isobornyl methacrylate) (PIBOMA).