{"title":"Ring-closing depolymerization of polyglycolide to glycolide through a synergistic transesterification strategy","authors":"Pei Zhang, Rulin Yang, Yuzhu Wang, Hongguang Sun, Guangqiang Xu, Qinggang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127957","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The chemical recycling of plastics to monomers provides efficient assistance for sustainable development of plastics. For polyglycolide (PGA), it has gained widespread attention to be a highly promising plastic material due to its excellent performance. However, research on the ring-closing depolymerization of PGA has yet to break through. The depolymerization is mainly limited by the challenges brought by high crystallinity and melting point of PGA, and instability of glycolide (GL). In this work, a synergistic transesterification strategy is proposed to achieve efficient depolymerization of PGA to monomer GL. Utilizing the versatile catalyst zinc bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] (Zn(HMDS)2) to promote simultaneous intramolecular and intermolecular transesterification, the random chain scission and back-biting depolymerization is achieved in succession. Therefore, the depolymerization product GL can be obtained in high yield and purity. This strategy will provide new research ideas for the chemical recycling of plastics.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Polymer","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127957","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"POLYMER SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The chemical recycling of plastics to monomers provides efficient assistance for sustainable development of plastics. For polyglycolide (PGA), it has gained widespread attention to be a highly promising plastic material due to its excellent performance. However, research on the ring-closing depolymerization of PGA has yet to break through. The depolymerization is mainly limited by the challenges brought by high crystallinity and melting point of PGA, and instability of glycolide (GL). In this work, a synergistic transesterification strategy is proposed to achieve efficient depolymerization of PGA to monomer GL. Utilizing the versatile catalyst zinc bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] (Zn(HMDS)2) to promote simultaneous intramolecular and intermolecular transesterification, the random chain scission and back-biting depolymerization is achieved in succession. Therefore, the depolymerization product GL can be obtained in high yield and purity. This strategy will provide new research ideas for the chemical recycling of plastics.
期刊介绍:
Polymer is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing innovative and significant advances in Polymer Physics, Chemistry and Technology. We welcome submissions on polymer hybrids, nanocomposites, characterisation and self-assembly. Polymer also publishes work on the technological application of polymers in energy and optoelectronics.
The main scope is covered but not limited to the following core areas:
Polymer Materials
Nanocomposites and hybrid nanomaterials
Polymer blends, films, fibres, networks and porous materials
Physical Characterization
Characterisation, modelling and simulation* of molecular and materials properties in bulk, solution, and thin films
Polymer Engineering
Advanced multiscale processing methods
Polymer Synthesis, Modification and Self-assembly
Including designer polymer architectures, mechanisms and kinetics, and supramolecular polymerization
Technological Applications
Polymers for energy generation and storage
Polymer membranes for separation technology
Polymers for opto- and microelectronics.