Cardanol epoxide

Kim YH, An ES, Park SY et al (2007) Enzymatic epoxidation and polymerization of cardanol obtained from a renewable resource and curing of epoxide-containing polycardanol. J Mol Catal B Enzym 45 39-44... 

Anarcadic acid derivatives (in particular cardanol) and umshiols were transformed in several typical metal-catalyzed transformations (epoxidation, hydrogenation, and metathesis) [19] however, to date, hydroformylation has not been investigated, although a potential as plasticizers for PVC has been proven [20]. 

Cardanol was polymerised with SBP in a mixture of acetone buffer (75 25), to form an oily polymer. H-NMR and FTIR analyses indicated that double bonds in the side chain were not affected by polymerisation conditions and polycardanol was a mixture of phenylene and oxyphenylene units (Scheme 12.20) [202]. Epoxide-containing polycardanol was enzymatically synthesised via two routes by two different enzymes, lipase and peroxidase [203]. One route was the synthesis of epoxide-containing cardanol from cardanol, H2O2 and an organic acid in the presence of lipase, followed by the polymerisation of the phenolic functional groups of cardanol using peroxidase. 

In the other route, polymerised cardanol was prepared from cardanol and H202in the presence of peroxidase and, subsequently, the epoxide-containing polycardanol was synthesised from polycardanol, H202and an organic acid in the presence of lipase. NMR and IR spectroscopy confirmed the polymer structure the former route yielded epoxide-containing polycardanol in a higher yield of over 90%. 

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