The aspects of green chemistry are central to achieve sustainable functional materials. This includes utilizing renewable resources as building-blocks in polymer synthesis to replace current oil-based polymers. Together with other aspects of green chemistry, comprising for example atom economic polymerization methods, avoiding the use of toxic reagents and preventing the generation of waste, future sustainable materials can be and are being designed. With this platform, competitive and relevant waste handling methodologies is a next key step for closing the loop on polymeric materials. The aliphatic polyesters and polycarbonates are great examples of polymeric material groups that can be designed, used and recycled adapting all mentioned criteria. Here the thermodynamics of ring-opening polymerization was utilized as a means to achieve this loop. This included the utilization of lactones from renewable resources, their organocatalyzed controlled ring-opening polymerization into well-defined polymers, and their subsequent chemical recycling via depolymerization. An example of how copolymer microstructure, determined by reaction kinetics, can be used to tailor the polymers thermodynamic behavior was revealed. A fast, simple and solvent-free synthesis methodology to cyclic carbonates and their controlled organocatalyzed ring-opening polymerization to polycarbonates was also developed.

From biobased building-blocks to sustainable functional polymers, and back

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.