A new 100% bio-based thermosetting coating system was developed from epoxidized sucrose soyate crosslinked with blocked bio-based dicarboxylic acids. A solvent-free, green method was used to block the carboxylic acid groups and render the acids miscible with the epoxy resin. The thermal reversibility of this blocking allowed for the formulation of epoxy-acid thermoset coatings that are 100% bio-based. This was possible due to the volatility of the vinyl ethers under curing conditions. These systems have good adhesion to metal substrates and perform well under chemical and physical stress. Additionally, the hardness of the coating system is dependent on the chain length of the diacid used, making it tunable.

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A laboratory experiment is described for beginning, nonmajor chemistry students, which allows students to examine the phenomena of fluorescence and chemiluminescence, as well as gain experience in basic organic synthesis. Students synthesize fluorescein and bis­(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO) to explore fluorescence and chemiluminescence by assembling a biphasic glow stick. The experiment gives students the opportunity to understand the chemistry behind common “real-life” experiences of glow stick illumination and fluorescent lighting or inks and to synthesize compounds that exhibit these phenomena. Students’ survey data between 2013 and 2016 show that the experiment was enjoyable to undergraduate nonscience majors (4.3 of 5 cumulative, 4.8 in 2016) and relevant to their lives (4.0 of 5 cumulative, 4.4 in 2016).