4,4’-Dibenzoic acid is a critical monomer used in the production of high-performance polymers and liquid crystal materials. However, its industrial application is increasingly challenged by its long synthetic pathways, low selectivity, environmental pollution, and poor biodegradability. Amid tightening environmental regulations and global carbon neutrality goals, the industrial usage and polymer applications of 4,4’-dibenzoic acid are becoming increasingly restricted. Therefore, developing viable alternatives is of great importance.

BFDCA: A Sustainable and Functional Alternative

A promising substitute is 2,2'-bifuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid (BFDCA) and its derived diesters. These compounds share a similar structure with 4,4’-dibenzoic acid, but offer significant advantages:

• Derived from agricultural by-products, making them more environmentally sustainable

• Simpler synthesis process under mild conditions

• Resulting polymers are biodegradable, reducing long-term environmental impact

Versatile Polymerization and Improved Performance

The 2,2'-difuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid monomer and its diethyl ester derivative can be polymerized with a wide range of compounds, such as:

• Aliphatic diols

• Diamines

• Aromatic diphenols

These reactions produce high-performance polymer materials with outstanding mechanical strength and liquid crystal behavior.

For example, when BFDCA is polymerized with ethylene glycol, the resulting polymer demonstrates:

• Better processing properties

• Lower liquid crystalline behavior
  compared to polymers synthesized using 4,4’-dibenzoic acid (see Figure 1).

The diethyl ester derivative of BFDCA also enables polymerization at lower temperatures, making it a highly flexible monomer for synthesizing multifunctional polymers.

J&K Scientific now offers the research outputs of Professor Yin Guochuan from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, including:

• 2,2'-difuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid

• 2,2'-bifuran-5,5'-diethyl dicarboxylate

Advantages of Our Products :

• Structural similarity to 4,4’-dibenzoic acid with simpler synthesis under mild conditions

• Monomers lead to biodegradable polymers

• The diethyl ester polymerizes at lower temperatures

• Address key environmental challenges such as carbon neutrality and pollution reduction

Figure 1: The polymer of BFDCA and ethylene glycol exhibits good liquid crystal behavior 2

Professor Yin Guochuan is a distinguished professor and Ph.D. advisor at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on:

• Catalytic oxidation

• Active species–performance relationships

• Additive effects on oxidation catalysts

• Catalytic technologies for treating organic wastewater

• Developing bio-based alternatives to petrochemical-derived compounds

Products Recommended

2,2'-Bifuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid (BFDCA), 98% 
2,2’-Difuran-5,5’-dicarboxylic acid 
CAS: 50738-83-5

CAT. No.: 9187268

2,2'-Bifuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid, 5,5'-diethyl ester, 98% 2,2'-Difuran-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid diethyl ester 

CAS:500891-46-3

CAT. No.: 9298327

References

1. Yamanaka, T., Ohme, H., Inoue, T. Future directions for the research and development of polyesters: From high-performance to environmentally friendly. Pure Appl. Chem. 2007, 79, 1541-1551.
2. Yu Lei, Sicheng Zhang, Guanfei Shen, Jinlian Zhu, Jing-Wen Xue, Zhuqi Chen, Guochuan Yin. Feasible synthesis of the bifuran based monomer for polymer synthesis from hemicellulose derived platform. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2020, 59, 19876-19883.