Ethyl cyanoacrylate, commonly known as superglue, has held a prominent role as an adhesive for decades due to its propensity to rapidly polymerize into poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) (PECA) under ambient conditions. Ethyl cyanoacrylate monomers and their resulting PECA polymers are bio-friendly, which has allowed them to be used as medical adhesives and to be applied to drug delivery systems. However, PECA has not been used as a plastic material due to the perceived difficulty of handling the ethyl cyanoacrylate monomer. Here, we present a novel PECA material that displays thermal stability and tensile strength values that are comparable to traditional plastics. The high-molecular weight, low-PDI polymer is produced in high yields via a one-pot synthesis in the presence of naturally occurring d-Limonene. We also present a mechanical recycling method in which no significant loss of molecular weight is observed, as well as a depolymerization route via thermal cracking that allows for the collection of pure monomer. This bio-friendly PECA plastic may be a good replacement for traditional non-recyclable, petroleum based plastics, particularly because the monomer already is produced on commercial scale.

Synthesis and characterization of depolymerizable, bio-friendly poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) plastics

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

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