Degradable Eugenol-Derived Poly(thioether carbonate)/Bamboo Powder Thermoset Composite Prepared via Thiol–Ene Click Polymerization

The design and synthesis of polymerizable monomers by using biobased chemicals have received great attention recently due to the nonrenewability and environmental problems of the traditional petroleum-based polymer industry. In this work, an eugenol-derived α,ω-diene aromatic carbonate monomer, namely, bis(4-allyl-2-methoxyphenyl) carbonate (BAMC), was synthesized by taking the inherent structural advantages of eugenol. In virtue of the structure of BAMC, a series of robust poly(thioether carbonate) thermosets were facilely prepared through atom-economical thiol–ene click polymerization. The curing behavior of BAMC with various thiols was investigated by 1 H NMR, FTIR, and DSC, and the optimized curing conditions were determined and also applied to the preparation of the poly(thioether carbonate)/bamboo powder thermoset composite. The thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained poly(thioether carbonate) thermoset and poly(thioether carbonate)/bamboo powder thermoset composite were investigated by DSC, TGA, DMA, tensile strength tests, and dielectric tests to reveal the relationship between the structure and properties. The incorporation of bamboo powder enhanced the composite’s glass transition temperature (Tg) from 27.5 to 47.5 °C and tensile stress from 12.1 to 55.7 MPa, albeit with a drastic strain reduction from 153 to 5.3%. Additionally, varying thiol monomers enabled tunable flexibility and thermomechanical properties (Tg: 7.6–30.2 °C; stress: 5.5–21.1 MPa; strain: 153–344.9%), demonstrating versatile material design. This work provides significant insights for the design and synthesis of sustainable polymer thermoset composites by taking the structural features of biobased chemicals.