Sustainable, Stereoregular, and Optically Active Polyamides via Cationic Polymerization of ε-Lactams Derived from the Terpene β-Pinene.

A convenient synthesis of sustainable polyamides, which contain side groups and stereocenters, starting from the biobased small terpene β-pinene is reported. The polyamides, which are obtained via the pinene-based lactam via ring-opening polymerization, show excellent thermal properties, rendering this approach very interesting for the utilization of novel biobased and structurally significant high-performance polymers and materials. Polymer masses and yields are shown to be dependent on different parameters, and the stereoinformation of the lactam monomer can thus be transferred into the polymer chain. In addition, another lactam side product can also be transformed to polyamides.