Preparation of Block Copolymers by a Sequential Transesterification Strategy: A Feasible Route for Upcycling End-of-Life Polyester Plastics to Elastomers

Dong, Bingzhe; Xu, Guangqiang; Yang, Rulin; Guo, Xuanhua; Wang, Qinggang

doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01773

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(52 reference statements)

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“…The benefit of ester bond and similar processes are also expected to be viable for other polyesters . Ring-closing depolymerization (RcDP) is an attractive route for chemical recycling of polyesters produced by ring-opening polymerization (ROP). , Here, interesting work has been performed by utilizing the thermodynamic equilibrium between ROP and RcDP to produce repeatedly recyclable polymer materials. , This equilibrium can be influenced, e.g., by design of cyclic monomer structures that provide a suitable balance between polymerizability and chemical recyclability , and by monomer–solvent interactions. , It was also shown that transesterification can be utilized to upcycle aliphatic polyesters to value-added block copolymers . The chemical recyclability of polyesters could be further promoted, e.g., by introduction of a second reversible chemical bond or neighboring groups that can function as internal catalysts for the depolymerization process. , …”

Section: Chemical Recycling and Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designed to Degrade: Tailoring Polyesters for Circularity

Aarsen,

Liguori,

Mattsson

et al. 2024

Chem. Rev.

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Section: Chemical Recycling and Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designed to Degrade: Tailoring Polyesters for Circularity

Aarsen,

Liguori,

Mattsson

et al. 2024

Chem. Rev.

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“…However, as shown in Scheme , the above-mentioned recycling methods usually require solvents, and to regenerate the PLA, tedious post-treatment procedures, such as separation, purification, and polymerization are essential, which is adverse from an environmental and economic point of view. Interestingly, a “polymer to polymer” strategy of directly recycling PLA into new materials has presented the advantages of being rapid and economical . Yang et al dissolved PLA in dichloromethane, achieving PLA degradation through different catalysts and appropriate amounts of methanol.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solvent-Free One-Pot Recycling of Polylactide to Usable Polymers and Their Closed-Loop Recyclability

Luo,

Tian,

Chen

et al. 2024

Macromolecules

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Due to concerns of environmental pollution and resource shortage related to the fossil fuel-based nondegradable plastics, biomass/biobased degradable polymer materials, especially polylactide (PLA), have received increasing attention in recent years. Although PLA can be depolymerized back to the cyclic monomer lactide, achieving a closed-loop cycle of "polymermonomer-polymer", it is very attractive but still a great challenge for recycling PLA to a high-performance polymer through a simple and green strategy suitable for industrialization. Herein, a facile solvent-free one-pot recycling strategy is developed to efficiently convert PLA and end-of-life PLA disposable products into an upgraded PLA-based polymer with enhanced performance. The recycling strategy involves a controlled fast catalytic alcoholysis to prepare a dihydroxyl-terminated PLA oligomer, i.e., PLA-diol, and subsequently a chain extension reaction to obtain PLA-based polyurethane, i.e., PLA−PU. The resulted PLA-diol and PLA−PU with well-defined structures were clearly characterized by 1 H NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, etc. Significantly, the PLA−PU exhibits enhanced mechanical properties that are preferable to those of PLA and can be processed through injection molding, melt spinning, and 3D printing. Besides, PLA−PUs can be directly depolymerized into monomer L-lactide with a high yield under vacuum, revealing its excellent recyclability, which demonstrates a proof of concept for closed-loop recycling from PLA to PLA−PUs and back to PLA. This work opens a potentially new industrial avenue of recycling PLA and other aliphatic polyester plastics.

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Mechanical Properties and In Vitro Degradation Study of Modified‐Polylactic Acid Block Copolymers/Polyetheretherketone Biocomposites

Shi,

Zhu,

Lin

et al. 2024

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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Polylactic acid (PLA) plays a crucial role in addressing global environmental concerns, particularly the challenges of achieving carbon peak and neutrality goals. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has emerged as a potential orthopedic implant material due to its excellent mechanical properties, elastic modulus similar to human bone, wear resistance, and good biocompatibility. In this study, PEEK/PLA (PEEK/PLA) composites were prepared using a film‐casting method. PEEK exhibits a spherical structure and can be dispersed in the PLA matrix, demonstrating good compatibility with PLA. Additionally, PEEK acts as a heterogeneous nucleating agent, reducing the surface free energy barrier for the crystallization nucleation of PLA molecules and promoting PLA crystallization. When the PEEK content is 8%, the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the composite material increase by 15.45% and 91.23%, respectively, compared to pure PLA. Furthermore, the introduction of the copolymer (PCxLyA) not only improves the compatibility between PLA and the blend but also successfully regulates the mechanical properties and in vitro degradation of the composite by adjusting the ratio of ε‐caprolactone and L‐lactide in the copolymer. This study not only delves into the modification strategies and methods for PLA composites but also provides new insights for developing biomedical materials with excellent properties.

show abstract

Preparation of Block Copolymers by a Sequential Transesterification Strategy: A Feasible Route for Upcycling End-of-Life Polyester Plastics to Elastomers

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

Designed to Degrade: Tailoring Polyesters for Circularity

Designed to Degrade: Tailoring Polyesters for Circularity

Solvent-Free One-Pot Recycling of Polylactide to Usable Polymers and Their Closed-Loop Recyclability

Mechanical Properties and In Vitro Degradation Study of Modified‐Polylactic Acid Block Copolymers/Polyetheretherketone Biocomposites

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