Rising accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean, landfills, and even in human bodies underscores the urgent need for simple and cost-effective methods of depolymerization or upcycling of commercial polymer products. While methods of depolymerization exist for certain polymers, they tend to be costly or extremely taxing on the environment. This work explores the ability of earth-abundant and cost-effective cobalt to function as a catalyst for various hydrofunctionalization methods of depolymerization for carbonyl-containing polymers. Non-precious and easily-synthesized Co(II) pincer, salen, and macho-type complexes are known in the literature as effective catalysts for the hydrofunctionalization of various molecules. These catalysts were tested for the hydrogenolysis and hydrofunctionalization of polyesters, polycarbonates, and polyurethanes. The versatility of these catalysts and the impacts of ligand structure on the catalytic activity for different forms of hydrofunctionalization of these polymers will be discussed.

Hydrofunctionalization of carbonyl-containing polymers with homogeneous cobalt catalysts

ACS Spring 2022

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