Cited by 85Polymer crystallization and propertiesbiodegradable polymer synthesis and propertiesAdvanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization

Circular olefin copolymers made de novo from ethylene and α-olefins

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Han, Xing-Wang, Zhang, Xun, Zhou, Youyun, Maimaitiming, Aizezi, Sun, Xiu-Li, Gao, Yanshan, Li, Peizhi, Zhu, Boyu +3 more·2024·Nature Communications

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Ethylene/α-olefin copolymers are produced in huge scale and widely used, but their after-use disposal has caused plastic pollution problems. Their chemical inertness made chemical re/upcycling difficult. Ideally, PE materials should be made de novo to have a circular closed-loop lifecycle. However, synthesis of circular ethylene/α-olefin copolymers, including high-volume, linear low-density PE as well as high-value olefin elastomers and block copolymers, presents a particular challenge due to difficulties in introducing branches while simultaneously installing chemical recyclability and directly using industrial ethylene and α-olefin feedstocks. Here we show that coupling of industrial coordination copolymerization of ethylene and α-olefins with a designed functionalized chain-transfer agent, followed by modular assembly of the resulting AB telechelic polyolefin building blocks by polycondensation, affords a series of ester-linked PE-based copolymers. These new materials not only retain thermomechanical properties of PE-based materials but also exhibit full chemical circularity via simple transesterification and markedly enhanced adhesion to polar surfaces.

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  1. [23]Si, G. & Chen, C. Cyclic–Acyclic Monomers Metathesis Polymerization for the Synthesis of Degradable Thermosets, Thermoplastics and Elastomers. Nat. Synth.10.1038/s44160-44022-00163-44169 (2022). · DOI

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Authors
Han, X.-W., Zhang, X., Zhou, Y., Maimaitiming, A., Sun, X.-L., Gao, Y., Li, P., Zhu, B., Chen, E. Y.-X., Kuang, X., & Tang, Y.
Affiliations
  • Southern University of Science and Technology (CN)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
  • Colorado State University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Gao, Yanshan
  • Chen, Eugene Y.-X.
  • Tang, Yong
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2024-02-17
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
1462-1462
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4391899270
Cited by
85
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 12
FWCI
8.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • ChemRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Energy (DESC0022290)
  • Colorado State University
  • Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (U19B6001, SPST-AIC10112914)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB0610000)
  • Shenzhen University
  • Southern University of Science and Technology (2020B121201002)
  • ShanghaiTech University (SPST-AIC10112914, AIC10112914)
  • Office of Science (DESC0022290)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer crystallization and properties
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization
Keywords
ethylene/α-olefin copolymers, polyethylene, chemical recycling, polycondensation, transesterification, linear low-density polyethylene, block copolymers, plastic pollution

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