The central theme of this book is the functionalization and utilization of plant oils to prepare sustainable materials. This book brings together for the first time researchers from one of the premier agricultural research laboratories in the USA with scientists from renowned university research centers around the world. This book was conceived and assembled by Dr Zengshe Liu, a research chemist in the Bio-Oils Research Unit of the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) located in Peoria, Illinois. Dr Liu has had a longstanding research interest in sustainable chemistry. He contributes a chapter on the polymerization of oils in carbon dioxide media.

This book contains contributions from several of his colleagues. A chapter from Dr Brent Tisserat describes the preparation of co-polymers via microwave heating. A chapter from Dr Grigor Bantchev outlines the development and use of thiol-based radical chemistry. Dr Rogers Harry-O’kuru describes the lubricity characteristics of modified plant seed oils. A chapter by Dr Kenneth Doll focuses on the production of cyclic carbonate materials from natural oils.

Several notable academic researchers have also contributed chapters. Drs Ruijun Gu and Mohini Sain from the University of Toronto, Canada outline the preparation of natural polyurethanes from plant oil polyols. Drs Brajendra Sharma and Sevim Erhan from the University of Illinois, with Dr Liu from NCAUR, have contributed a chapter summarizing the screening of modified seed oils as feedstocks for lubricants. A chapter from Drs Xuesong Jiang and Yanchang Gan from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China reports new photo-cured monomers based on vegetable oils. Drs Fei Liu and Jin Zhu from the Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, China describe plant-oil-based polymers. Drs Rongpeng Wang and Thomas Schuman from Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA have contributed a chapter on the polymers generated from epoxidized vegetable oils. Drs Shailesh Shah and Shelby Thames from the University of Southern Mississippi, USA describe renewable materials for coating applications. A chapter by Drs Chengguo Liu and Yonghong Zhou from the Chinese Academy of Forestry covers green polymers from triglyceride oils.

George A. Kraus

Iowa State University, USA