Podcast – Boron-based Furan Polymers

Jun 11, 2022 | PODCASTS

Today, we’re going to look at boron-based furan polymers. boron-based furan polymers are a new class of  renewable energy materials based on boron. These materials can provide portable energy sources, serve as catalysts in chemical reactions and can potentially be used as electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. They are also highly biodegradable.

Boron-based Furan Polymers

Boron-based Furan Polymers

Boron-based Furan Polymers

There’s a lot of research going on into boron at the cutting edge of science for its advanced and green energy potential. In combination with furan polymers. researchers believe that boron can offer a sustainable solution for light and energy on the go.

Most furan-based products degrade quickly under ambient circumstances, exposing the environment to hazardous compounds. On the other hand, boron-linked furans can resist temperatures of up to 300 degrees centigrade, and stay unaffected by light for months. These furan polymers have a greater luminosity and are more soluble than traditional thiophene-based compounds, making synthesis easier and lowering solvent use. Because furans are biodegradable, these materials are more likely to be reused.

So, what are the potential applications? Boron-based furan polymers open up a variety of potential uses beyond organic electronics. They can help provide a sustainable and clean source of electricity. Solar cells are unique, organic materials using crystalline silicon that harnesses the sun’s energy. Presently, these materials are produced with crude oil or natural gas, which is not sustainable. Scientists are now seeking alternatives.

Portable energy sources are favored by outdoor enthusiasts and others who carry small solar plants, usually made of tin and other non-sustainable materials. These sources enable people to charge their smartphones while on the move.

Flexible, thin, and lightweight solar panels can be mounted to curved surfaces, such as roofs on mobile homes, or attached to outdoor clothing. As the material’s characteristics develop, boron-based furan polymers can be utilized to produce sensors that detect hazardous amines in the air.

Furthermore, they can be employed as catalysts and electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. This discovery will pave the way for a more sustainable energy source and aid in providing green energy to a worldwide population.

What Research is Going on?

Boron-based furan polymers are already used in organic electronics. According to Wikipedia, organic electronics is a field of material science concerning the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of organic molecules or polymers that show desirable, electronic properties such as conductivity. This is a promising field in many respects but there are challenges in use. For instance, the polymers decompose quickly in the presence of light and oxygen.

However, a doctoral student from the University of Wurtzburg in Germany is now working on synthesizing and characterizing these materials using more environmentally friendly methods. This will lead to more efficient processes, lowering energy requirements and reducing reagents. The research is ongoing.

Professor Holger Helten and his team of scientists at the Wurtzburg Faculty of Chemistry have developed a sustainable, organic, electronics source manufactured in the home.

Besides organic electronics, these polymers have various applications such as renewable energy source. Among other uses, they can be used for  solar cells, light-emitting diodes displays, or electronic circuits.

Professor Helton hopes to improve these synthesis processes further to make them more sustainable. He explains why these strategies are good for the environment. And I quote,

” The polymerization of boron and furans as well as the production of purely organic polymers generally leads to high undesirable waste. Often, these are organic tin compounds. There’s no requirement for metals with our approach and no harmful waste degenerated”.

With all of these advantages in terms of sustainability., It’s no surprise that the  German Federal Environmental Foundation, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, is funding Maximillian Fest’s dissertation project.

Beyond organic electronics, the addition of boron to furan-based polymers opens up a number of new possibilities. Professor Helton says it can be used, for example, to build sensors that detect hazardous amines.

As for new, green, clean sources of energy, born and based polymers can produce liquid fuels. This material contains hydroxyl groups and various furan rings. The resulting compounds can be used for organic electronics and solar cells. These polymers are also used to make light-emitting diodes and displays.

The material will eventually be a green clean source of energy. Further, they can be used in the manufacturing of flexible electric chromic devices.

Finally, boron-based fibers are another excellent, renewable, and sustainable energy source. They do not contribute to global warming or air pollution.

A reduction in temperature is another way to create renewable materials. Natural fibers are renewable and have a lower processing 📍 temperature than synthetic materials. And of course, they’re environmentally friendly.

And that’s all for today. For more information on boron-based forum polymers, please refer to the Borates Today website. Thanks for listening.

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PODCASTS, Human Health, MICRONUTRIENTS

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