Chemically recyclable thermoplastics from reversible-deactivation polymerization of cyclic acetals
Abstract
Identifying plastics capable of chemical recycling to monomer (CRM) is the foremost challenge in creating a sustainable circular plastic economy. Polyacetals are promising candidates for CRM but lack useful tensile strengths owing to the low molecular weights produced using current uncontrolled cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) methods. Here, we present reversible-deactivation CROP of cyclic acetals using a commercial halomethyl ether initiator and an indium(III) bromide catalyst. Using this method, we synthesize poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDXL), which demonstrates tensile strength comparable to some commodity polyolefins. Depolymerization of PDXL using strong acid catalysts returns monomer in near-quantitative yield and even proceeds from a commodity plastic waste mixture. Our efficient polymerization method affords a tough thermoplastic that can undergo selective depolymerization to monomer.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[1]
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1812976
- Grant/Contract Number:
- Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), an Energy Innovation Hub
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Science Journal Volume: 373 Journal Issue: 6556; Journal ID: ISSN 0036-8075
- Publisher:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Abel, Brooks A., Snyder, Rachel L., and Coates, Geoffrey W. Chemically recyclable thermoplastics from reversible-deactivation polymerization of cyclic acetals. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1126/science.abh0626.
Abel, Brooks A., Snyder, Rachel L., & Coates, Geoffrey W. Chemically recyclable thermoplastics from reversible-deactivation polymerization of cyclic acetals. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh0626
Abel, Brooks A., Snyder, Rachel L., and Coates, Geoffrey W. Thu .
"Chemically recyclable thermoplastics from reversible-deactivation polymerization of cyclic acetals". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh0626.
@article{osti_1812976,
title = {Chemically recyclable thermoplastics from reversible-deactivation polymerization of cyclic acetals},
author = {Abel, Brooks A. and Snyder, Rachel L. and Coates, Geoffrey W.},
abstractNote = {Identifying plastics capable of chemical recycling to monomer (CRM) is the foremost challenge in creating a sustainable circular plastic economy. Polyacetals are promising candidates for CRM but lack useful tensile strengths owing to the low molecular weights produced using current uncontrolled cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) methods. Here, we present reversible-deactivation CROP of cyclic acetals using a commercial halomethyl ether initiator and an indium(III) bromide catalyst. Using this method, we synthesize poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDXL), which demonstrates tensile strength comparable to some commodity polyolefins. Depolymerization of PDXL using strong acid catalysts returns monomer in near-quantitative yield and even proceeds from a commodity plastic waste mixture. Our efficient polymerization method affords a tough thermoplastic that can undergo selective depolymerization to monomer.},
doi = {10.1126/science.abh0626},
journal = {Science},
number = 6556,
volume = 373,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 12 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Thu Aug 12 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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