Polyolefin plastics are widely used in society due to their low cost and superior thermal and mechanical properties. However, their minimal degradation and environmental persistence poses increasing challenges for plastic waste management. While significant efforts have been devoted to the design and synthesis of biodegradable polymer materials as substitutes for polyolefins, there is a need for further improvements in material performance and preparation. Here, we present a new class of potentially biodegradable polyesters that are structurally inspired by Nature. These materials exhibit similar thermal and mechanical behaviors as commodity polyolefins, and a broad range of properties can be achieved through simply adjusting the ratio of starting feedstocks. Moreover, they can be synthesized from inexpensive feedstocks in a practical and catalytic manner. The desirable performance of these materials and their facile synthesis from accessible sources may enable a promising platform for discovery of sustainable alternatives for polyolefin plastics.

Nature-inspired, high-performance polymer platform from readily available feedstocks

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.