Limonene dioxide as a building block for 100% bio-based thermosets

This study valorises the benign epoxidation of (R)-(+)-limonene to generate novel bio-resourced limonene dioxide monomers. Without additional steps of separation or functionalization, the racemic limonene dioxide was cured with glutaric and dimethylglutaric anhydrides leading to thermosets with high Tg (~90 °C) and good mechanical properties (σ = 27 MPa; e = 3,5 %; E= 1150 MPa; E’ = 1650 MPa, Shore D = 78).