An Inherently Flame-retardant Bio-based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Copolyester with High Impact Toughness and UV Shielding

Qi Jiang; Jia-Yi Li; Han Hu; Jin-Hao Sun; Wei-Hong Cao; Lin-Yi Hu; Dong-Qing Wei; Jing-Gang Wang; Jin Zhu

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3478-4

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An Inherently Flame-retardant Bio-based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Copolyester with High Impact Toughness and UV Shielding

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-01-13

- An Inherently Flame-retardant Bio-based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Copolyester with High Impact Toughness and UV Shielding
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 1, Pages: 30-43(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Key Laboratory of Bio-based Polymeric Materials Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
  b.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  c.State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  d.Qihe Laboratory, Hebi 458030, China
  e.Urology & Nephrology Center, Department of Urology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Author bio：
  
  huhan@nimte.ac.cn (H.H.)
  wangjg@nimte.ac.cn (J.G.W.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3478-4
  CLC：
- Received：17 September 2025，
  
  Accepted：11 October 2025，
  
  Online First：22 December 2025，
  
  Published：15 January 2026
- Accepted：
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Jiang, Q.; Li, J. Y.; Hu, H.; Sun, J. H.; Cao, W. H.; Hu, L. Y.; Wei, D. Q.; Wang, J. G.; Zhu, J. An inherently flame-retardant bio-based poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) copolyester with high impact toughness and UV shielding. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 30–43

Qi Jiang, Jia-Yi Li, Han Hu, et al. An Inherently Flame-retardant Bio-based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Copolyester with High Impact Toughness and UV Shielding[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(1): 30-43.
Jiang, Q.; Li, J. Y.; Hu, H.; Sun, J. H.; Cao, W. H.; Hu, L. Y.; Wei, D. Q.; Wang, J. G.; Zhu, J. An inherently flame-retardant bio-based poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) copolyester with high impact toughness and UV shielding. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 30–43 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3478-4.

Qi Jiang, Jia-Yi Li, Han Hu, et al. An Inherently Flame-retardant Bio-based Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) Copolyester with High Impact Toughness and UV Shielding[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(1): 30-43. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3478-4.

摘要

In this study

a bio-based poly(ethylene 2

5-furandicar-boxylate) (PEF) copolymer was illustrated

integrating intrinsic flame retardancy (UL-94 V-0)

exceptional impact toughness (14.7 kJ/m

)

and UV shielding

via

phosphorus-containing segments

overcoming traditional flame retardant trade-offs.

Abstract

Bio-based 2

5-furandicarboxylic acid polyesters offer significant promise for reducing energy and environmental crises. However

their intrinsic flammability remains a critical limitation

and conventional flame-retardant strategies often compromise their mechanical properties

hindering their practical applications. Herein

a 9

10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-based comonomer (DDP) was used to synthesize flame-retardant poly(ethylene furandicarboxylate-

-phosphaphenanthrene) (PEFDn). The covalent integration of DDP confers intrinsic flame retardancy

avoiding the plasticization and migration issues associated with additive-ty

pe systems. Upon thermal decomposition

the DOPO-derived moieties release phosphoric acid and radical scavengers

promoting char formation and suppressing flame propagation. Furthermore

density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with non-covalent interaction (NCI) analysis revealed that DOPO dimer molecules adopt a stable parallel-displaced

–

stacking configuration

potentially facilitating microphase separation and enhancing the energy dissipation capability. PEFD

achieves a UL-94 V-0 rating while simultaneously increasing impact toughness from 1.5 kJ/m

to 14.7 kJ/m

. Importantly

PEFDn maintained acceptable oxygen-barrier properties. PEFD

also exhibited high transparency and UV-shielding performance. The combination of intrinsic flame safety

impact-toughness resistance

UV shielding

and an oxygen barrier ensures reliable protection of electrical components and long-term operational stability. The integration of multiple critical properties within a single bio-based material represents a novel approach for enabling sustainable polymer solutions for high-performance electrical applications.

关键词

Keywords

references

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