LAUSR

A rigid monomer, isosorbide-methacrylate (IM), was synthesized from isosorbide with methacrylate anhydride (MAA) via a solvent-free, ultrasonic-assisted method and then was used to copolymerize with acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) to formulate a biobased thermosetting resin (IM-AESO). The synthesis of IM was monitored by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) by tracking the changes in the functional groups of the reaction system. The AESO was further modified with MAA to replace the hydroxyl groups of AESO with methacrylate groups, generating a resin (IM-MAESO) with an improved degree of unsaturation. The chemical structure of IM and modification of AESO with MAA were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and ATR-FTIR analyses. The miscibility of IM with AESO was predicted according to Hansen’s solubility theory and evaluated experimentally. The formulated IM-AESO and IM-MAESO resins were compared with the pure AESO and IM resins in terms of their rheological behaviors,...