3. Isosorbide applications

The advantages of the isosorbide molecule are that it can be produced in large tonnages, is derived from plant chemistry (agroresource) using very clean processes, is non-toxic and has a bifunctional structure based on a rigid structure (two fused tetrahydrofuran rings). These rare features make it a particularly attractive molecular construction tool for academic and industrial chemists alike. As a result, its use is expanding rapidly in a number of sectors, including polymeric materials, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Isosorbide can be used directly as a monomer, or it can be functionalized or chemically transformed to give it application properties of interest, depending on the modifications made. In the latter case, isosorbide is considered a "platform" molecule.