A cleavable crosslinking strategy for commodity polymer functionalization and generation of reprocessable thermosets
| dc.contributor.author | Bi, Liting | |
| dc.contributor.author | Godwin, Benjamin | |
| dc.contributor.author | Baran, Miranda | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nazir, Rashid | |
| dc.contributor.author | Wulff, Jeremy | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-03-08T23:07:35Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-03-08T23:07:35Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Covalently crosslinked polymeric materials, known as thermosets, possess enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability relative to the corresponding uncrosslinked thermoplastics. However, the presence of covalent inter-chain crosslinks that makes thermosets so attractive is precisely what makes them so difficult to reprocess and recycle. Here, we demonstrate the introduction of chemically cleavable groups into a bis-diazirine crosslinker. Application of this cleavable crosslinker reagent to commercial low-functionality polyolefins (or to a small-molecule model) results in the rapid, efficient introduction of molecular crosslinks that can be uncoupled by specific chemical inputs. These proof-of-concept findings provide one potential strategy for circularization of the thermoplastic/thermoset plastics economy, and may allow crosslinked polyolefins to be manufactured, used, reprocessed, and re-used without losing value. As an added benefit, the method allows the ready introduction of functionality into non-functionalized commodity polymers. | |
| dc.description.reviewstatus | Reviewed | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Faculty | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | We gratefully acknowledge Mitacs Canada (grant IT17318) for fellowships and consumables support to L.B., and thank XlynX Materials for operating funds that were used to support this research. L.B. thanks the University of Victoria for Nora & Mark Degoutiere Memorial, David McGillivray, and Dr. Wilma Elias Graduate Scholarships. J.W. additionally thanks the Canada Research Chairs program (file number 950-231376) for salary support. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Bi, L., Godwin, B., Baran, M. J., Nazir, R., & Wulff, J. E. (2023). A cleavable crosslinking strategy for commodity polymer functionalization and generation of reprocessable thermosets. Angewandte Chemie, 135(30). https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202304708 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202304708 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/16058 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Angewandte Chemie | |
| dc.rights | Attribution 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject.department | Department of Chemistry | |
| dc.title | A cleavable crosslinking strategy for commodity polymer functionalization and generation of reprocessable thermosets | |
| dc.type | Article |