A synthetic polymer system with repeatable chemical recyclability
Abstract
Recycle, recycle, recycle: Some polymers, such as polyethylene terephthalate in soft drink bottles, can be depolymerized back to the starting monomers. This makes it possible to repolymerize true virgin material for repeated use. Zhu et al. developed a polymer based on a five-membered ring cyclic monomer derived from γ-butyrolactone that could be produced at ambient temperature and mild conditions (see the Perspective by Sardon and Dove). The high-molecular-weight polymer exhibited high crystallinity and thermal stability. However, at hot enough conditions, or at lower temperatures in the presence of a zinc chloride catalyst, the polymer could be returned to its starting monomers and thus recycled into new material. Science , this issue p. 398 ; see also p. 380
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- Authors
- Zhu, J.-B., Watson, E. M., Tang, J., & Chen, E. Y.-X.
- Affiliations
- Colorado State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Eugene Y.-X.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2018-04-27
- Volume
- 360
- Issue
- 6387
- Pages
- 398-403
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2801649829
- Cited by
- 709
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 55 · 2025: 122 · 2024: 99 · 2023: 119 · 2022: 110 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 24
- FWCI
- 16.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1664915)
- The W. M. Keck Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer crystallization and properties
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Polymers and Plastics › Polymer composites and self-healing
- Keywords
- chemically recyclable polymers, gamma-butyrolactone, ring-opening polymerization, solvent-free polymerization, room-temperature polymerization, thermal decomposition, chemolysis, monomer recovery, circular economy, crystallinity, thermal stability
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