Polyurethanes are versatile organic materials that have transformed modern-day life.Made from polyols and diisocyanates, their versatility is largely determined by the combination
of monomers used. In foams, the polyols can be sourced from renewable feedstocks and are
diverse in their structures and properties, however, the dominating process for aromatic
diisocyanates from fossil fuels has limited the monomers used in polyurethane materials. As
society depletes the petroleum resources on this planet, there is an incentive to expand to
renewable sources that can further diversify the aryl diisocyanates used in polyurethane products. Herein, I take inspiration from naturally abundant phenolic compounds to expand the
scope of starting materials to access novel aromatic diisocyanates. I explore established
synthetic methodologies to prepare the aniline precursor to access novel monomer, 3,5-
diisocyanto-1,1’-biphenyl.