Hydroaminoalkylation for Amine Functionalization of Vinyl-Terminated Polyethylene Enables Direct Access to Responsive Functional Materials

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for producing functionalized polyethylenes (PEs) via a 100 % atom economic tantalum-catalyzed hydroaminoalkylation of vinyl-terminated polyethylene (VTPE). Our approach addresses current synthetic challenges by enabling the efficient incorporation of amine functionalities into crystalline PEs in the melt phase. These functional materials have diverse potential applications and here we show that aminated PEs exhibit enhanced material properties, and pH responsive properties results in antibacterial PE films.