Yang, C., & Liu, P. (2010). Synthetic metals, 160(5-6), 345-350.
Castor oil sulfate (COS), the sulfonated derivative of castor oil, has emerged as a dual-function reagent in the synthesis of conducting polymers. In a recent study, COS was employed both as a surfactant and a dopant in the chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole, highlighting its multifunctionality and sustainable origin from renewable castor oil.
The polymerization process began with dissolving COS sodium salt in double-distilled water under stirring. Freshly distilled pyrrole monomer (1 mL, 14.4 mmol) was introduced into the solution and preconditioned in an ice-cold environment to ensure controlled reactivity. The polymerization was initiated by slow addition of ammonium peroxodisulfate (0.9 g, 0.015 mol) as the oxidant, and the reaction was maintained for 10 hours under cold conditions to yield a stable dispersion.
The resulting polypyrrole was isolated through purification steps involving filtration, washing with water and ethanol, and vacuum drying. The black powder obtained indicated successful polymer formation, with COS effectively serving to stabilize and dope the polypyrrole chains during synthesis.
This approach not only demonstrates the viability of COS in green chemistry pathways but also introduces a renewable alternative to traditional synthetic surfactants and dopants used in conductive polymer preparation. The study reinforces the value of castor oil sulfate in environmentally conscious materials science and electronic applications.
Kanagaraj, P., Huang, W., & Liu, C. (2020). ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 12(33), 37054-37066.
Sulfated castor oil (SCO), a renewable, amphiphilic additive derived from natural castor oil, has been effectively utilized in the fabrication of high-performance polyetherimide (PEI)-based membranes for water purification. In a recent study, SCO was integrated with graphene oxide (GO) into a PEI matrix via a nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) process to engineer advanced membranes capable of selectively removing organic pollutants.
The membrane casting solution was prepared using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent, with varying concentrations of PEI (15-20 wt%), SCO (0.5-3 wt%), and GO (0.1-0.3 wt%). The optimized composition-20 wt% PEI, 2.5 wt% SCO, and 0.2 wt% GO-yielded a membrane (PEI/SCO@GO) with superior water flux and enhanced surface hydrophilicity compared to bare PEI and PEI/SCO membranes.
SCO played a crucial dual role: enhancing the hydrophilicity of the polymer matrix and providing long-term antifouling stability by suppressing pollutant adhesion. The resulting PEI/SCO@GO membranes exhibited excellent performance in separating multiple organic contaminants, demonstrating sustained efficiency and durability in continuous filtration cycles.
This study highlights the potential of sulfated castor oil as a functional and sustainable additive in next-generation membrane technologies, addressing critical needs in water treatment through environmentally conscious material design.
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