The contribution reports a unique type of lignin‐based (meth)acrylate polymers which are derived from syringaldehyde and vanillin and show high glass transition temperature (Tg). The four (meth)acrylate monomers undergo free radical polymerization and yield the corresponding polymers in high yield (>80 wt%). The obtained polymers display relatively higher thermostability. Especially, the polymers demonstrate remarkably high glass transition temperature (Tg), well exemplified by syringaldehyde‐derived polymers which show a Tg up to 180 °C. This type of polymers can be applied as novel high temperature‐resistant plastics and even heat‐resistant additives for other general polymers.

The contribution reports the first polymeric microspheres derived from a biomass, vanillin. It reacted with methacryloyl chloride, providing monomer vanillin methacrylate (VMA), which underwent suspension polymerization in aqueous media and yielded microspheres in high yield (>90 wt %). By controlling the N2 bubbling mode and by optimizing the cosolvent for dissolving the solid monomer, the microspheres were endowed with surface pores, demonstrated by SEM images and mercury intrusion porosimetry measurement. Taking advantage of the reactive aldehyde groups, the microspheres further reacted with glycine, thereby leading to a novel type of Schiff-base chelating material. The functionalized microspheres demonstrated remarkable adsorption toward Cu(2+) (maximum, 135 mg/g) which was taken as representative for metal ions. The present study provides an unprecedented class of biobased polymeric microspheres showing large potentials as adsorbents in wastewater treatment. Also importantly, the reactive aldehyde groups may enable the microspheres to be used as novel materials for immobilizing biomacromolecules, e.g. enzymes.

Novel core/shell microspheres showed both optical activity and magneticity, and efficiently induced enantioselective crystallization on threonine with ee of 90%.

Herein we describe a nickel-catalyzed remote hydrosilylation of unconjugated enones with bulky triphenylsilane. A range of Z-silyl enol ethers are obtained as major isomers due to the process of nickel...