Methyl Addition and Side-Chain Engineering on XT386 Lead to the Discovery of a 2,4,6-Triaminotoluene-Derived Nucleating Agent for Polypropylene

N,N′,N″-tripivaloyl-1,3,5-triaminobenzene (XT386) has been proven to be a highly efficient nucleating agent (NA) for polypropylene (PP), though it remains relatively expensive, which hinders its broader adoption. Herein, a methyl addition to benzene and a side-chain engineering strategy on XT386 led to the discovery of N,N′,N″-triacetyl-1,3,5-triaminotoluene (1a) as a very efficient NA for PP. It could raise the crystallization temperature (Tc) of iPP by 10.0 °C at a content not exceeding 1 wt %, reduce haze by 12.3, and increase tensile strength by 4.9 MPa. Refinement of PXRD data revealed that 1a has a c-axis size (∼6.5 Å) similar to PP, which has the ability to form epitaxial matching. Considering that 1a could be made from retired 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by a simple and green procedure of hydrogenation followed by N,N′,N″-triacylation, it will be a very promising NA for PP with good cost performance in the near future.