Bio-Based Aromatics: Aminobenzoic Acid Derivatives for High-Performance Bioplastics

The conventional method for the preparation of aromatic precursor molecules involves the chemical synthesis of fossil-fuel-based starting materials, such as benzene and xylene. This process is considerably energy-intensive, and many byproducts are generated. To make this process environmentally benign, aromatic building blocks must be extracted from natural resources; however, most of the reported approaches are expensive and have low yield. Alternately, the microbial fermentation of renewable feedstock to produce aromatic molecules through the shikimate pathway is inexpensive and is an ideal alternative method for establishing a sustainable society. This chapter mainly focuses on the microbial production of aromatic aminobenzoic acid (3-amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) using non-edible feedstock, and its use in various polymer products, such as polyaniline, polyester, and polybenzazole. Various bio-based functional polymers are reviewed here, along with their structure–property relationships. Furthermore, the advancement of various aspects of society using such high-performance bio-based aromatic polymers is discussed.