A Review on the Potential and Limitations of Recyclable Thermosets for Structural Applications

Abstract

The outstanding performance of conventional thermosets arising from their covalently cross-linked networks directly results in a limited recyclability. The available commercial or close-to-commercial techniques facing this challenge can be divided into mechanical, thermal, and chemical processing. However, these methods typically require a high energy input and do not take the recycling of the thermoset matrix itself into account. Rather, they focus on retrieving the more valuable fibers, fillers, or substrates. To increase the circularity of thermoset products, many academic studies report potential solutions which require a reduced energy input by using degradable linkages or dynamic covalent bonds. However, the majority of these studies have limited potential for industrial implementation. This review aims to bridge the gap between the industrial and academic developments by focusing on those which are most relevant from a technological, sustainable and economic point of view. An overview is given of currently used approaches for the recycling of thermoset materials, the development of novel inherently recyclable thermosets and examples of possible applications that could reach the market in the near future.     

Properties of 8-Cyano-5-phenyl-7-trifluoromethyl-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines

The alkylation, acylation, halogenation, nitration, oxidation, and hydrolysis reactions of 8-cyano-5-phenyl-7-trifluoromethyl-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine have been studied. It was found that the 6-halo derivatives add alcohol to give covalent solvates. X-ray analysis has been carried out on one of the solvates (6-chloro-8-cyano-7-ethoxy-5-phenyl-7-trifluoromethyl-1,2,3,7-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine) as well as on 8-cyano-5-phenyl-7-trifluoromethyl-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine trifluoroacetate.     

Room Temperature Solid State Reaction Involving Structural Transformation of Covalent Oxide Network

An interesting structural transformation from a two dimensional (2d) covalent oxide network with a layered structure to a three-dimensional (3d) network with a tunnel structure was found at room temperature in the mixture of hydrated alkali-metal molybdenum bronze and amorphous alkali-metal molybdate. From various experimental results it was concluded that the transformation was due to a room temperature solid state reaction.     

Studies of the Reaction Behavior of Nitryl Compounds Towards Azides: Evidence for Tetranitrogen Dioxide,N4O2

The reaction behavior of NaN₃, AgN₃, and Me₃SiN₃ towards FNO₂, CINO₂, NO₂SbF₆, and NO₂BF₄ was investigated. At -30°C or below in a solvent-free system sodium azide did not react with CINO₂, NO₂BF₄, or NO₂SbF₆. Below -30°C silver azide did not react either with neat C1NO₂. Treatment of Me₃SiN₃ with pure C1NO₂ led to the formation of C1N₃, N₂O, and Me₃SiOSiMe₃. A mechanism for this reaction has been proposed. Pure chlorine azide was isolated by fractional condensation and identified by its low-temperature Raman spectrum (liquid state). The reaction of Cp₂Ti(N₃)₂ with C1NO₂ also yielded C1N₃ as the only azide-containing reaction product. Treatment of FNO₂ with NaN₃ at temperatures as low as -78°C always ended in an explosion which was probably due to the formation of FN₃ as one of the reaction products. The reaction of NO₂SbF₆ with NaN₃ in liquid CO₂ (-55°C· T· -35°C) as the solvent afforded a new azide species which was stable at low temperature in solution only and was investigated by means of low-temperature Raman spectroscopy. The obtained vibrational data give strong evidence for the presence of tetranitrogen dioxide, N₄O₂, which can be regarded as nitryl azide (NO₂N₃). The structure and vibrational frequencies of N₄O₂ were computed ab initio at correlated level (MP2/6-31 + G^*). In liquid xenon (-100°C· T· -60°C) NaN₃ did not react with NO₂SbF₆. A previous literature report on the preparation of N₄O₂ could not be established.     

Amide bond formation from selenocarboxylates and aromatic azides

A new method of amide bond formation was developed through the reaction of potassium selenocarboxylates with aromatic azides at room temperature. Potassium selenocarboxylates were prepared in situ by the treatment of diacyl selenides with potassium methoxide at 5 °C under N₂. After the addition of azide, the reaction was allowed to gradually warm to room temperature and was stirred for 0.5-2 h. Excellent yields were obtained when electron deficient aromatic azides were used.     

Dynamic covalent approach to [2]- and [3]roxtanes by utilizing a reversible thiol-disulfide interchange reaction

A dynamic covalent approach to disulfide-containing [2]- and [3]rotaxanes is described. Symmetrical dumbbell-shaped compounds with two secondary ammonium centers and a central located disulfide bond were synthesized as components of rotaxanes. The rotaxanes were synthesized from the dumbbell-shaped compounds and dibenzo-[24]crown-8 (DB24C8) with catalysis by benzenethiol. The yields of isolated rotaxanes reached about 90 % under optimized conditions. A kinetic study on the reaction forming [2]rotaxane 2 a and [3]rotaxane 3 a suggested a plausible reaction mechanism comprising several steps, including 1) initiation, 2) [2]rotaxane formation, and 3) [3]rotaxane formation. The whole reaction was found to be reversible in the presence of thiols, and thermodynamic control over product distribution was thus possible by varying the temperature, solvent, initial ratio of substrates, and concentration. The steric bulk of the end-capping groups had almost no influence on rotaxane yields, but the structure of the thiol was crucial for reaction rates. Amines and phosphines were also effective as catalysts. The structural characterization of the rotaxanes included an X-ray crystallographic study on [3]rotaxane 3 a.     

Radical amination with sulfonyl azides: a powerful method for the formation of C-N bonds

A novel reaction for the introduction of an azide moiety by means of a mild radical process is currently under development. Sulfonyl azides are suitable azidating agents for nucleophilic radicals, such as secondary and tertiary alkyl radicals. More electrophilic radicals, such as enolate radicals, do not react with sulfonyl azides. This feature allowed the development of efficient intra- and intermolecular carboazidations of olefins. Due to the versatility of the azido group, this reaction has an important synthetic potential, as already demonstrated by the preparation of the core of several alkaloids, particularly those containing an amino-substituted quaternary carbon center, such as FR901483.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with on-line regenerating covalent coating

A rapid, sensitive and reproducible micellar electrokinetic chromatographic method using hexamethyldisilazane as on-line regenerating covalent coating was developed for the quantification of ephedrine (E) and pseudoephedrine (PE). E and PE were derivatized with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol for laser-induced fluorescence detection. The on-line regenerating covalent coating formed a combinative double coating with the subsequently produced dynamic SDS coating. The total coating can be easily removed and conveniently regenerated on-line. The simple coating procedure was described. By a series of optimization, a running buffer of 20 mm Na(2)B(4)O(7) + 16 mm SDS was applied for the separation of the derivatives. Linear relationships for E and PE were obtained in the range of 0.044-6.60 microg mL(-1) (correlation coefficients: 0.9975 for E, 0.9981 for PE), and the detection limits for E and PE were 1.71 and 0.67 ng mL(-1), respectively. The separation speed, the reproducibility and the sensitivity were much improved over those of other capillary electrophoresis methods more recently reported. The method was applied to the analysis of the two alkaloids in traditional herbal preparations with recoveries in the range 92.8-104.8%.     

A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF POLY（DIVINYLBENZENE-co-ACRYLIC ACID） IN CROSSLINKING PRECIPITATION POLYMERIZATION

Divinylbenzene-80 （DVB-80） and polar monomer acrylic acid （AA） having hydrogen bonding at a total monomer loading of 5 vol% were precipitated-copolymerized in a variety of organic solvents with 2,2＇-azobis（isobutyronitrile） （AIBN） as initiator. The experiments were investigated from a two-dimensional matrix, i.e., the actual crosslinking degree of DVB varying from 0 to 80% and the solvent composition varying from 0 to 100% of toluene mixture with acetonitrile, when the mixture of acetonitrile and toluene was used as the reaction solvent. Under various reaction conditions, six distinct morphologies including soluble polymers, swellable microgels, coagulum, irregular microparticles, and nano-/micrometer microspheres were formed and the structures of these polymer architectures were described. A morphological map was utilized to discuss the effects of both crosslinking degree of DVB and composition of solvent on the transitions between morphology domains. The results demonstrated that the microspheres are formed by an internal contraction due to the marginal solvency of the continuous phase and the crosslinking of the polymer network through the covalent bonding from DVB as well as the interchain hydrogen-bonding between the carboxylic acid units.     

“Solid-Liquid” Vitrimers Based on Dynamic Boronic Ester Networks

The "solid-liquid" behavior of vitrimers have not been systematically investigated. Herein, a series of "solid-liquid" vitrimers bearing varying contents of dynamic boronic ester bonds were synthesized via thiol-ene click reactions. These vitrimers allow for flexibile modulation of their network structures and thus show a range of intriguing properties including high stretchability, flexible transition from elasticity to plasticity, strong strain rate dependence, and solid-liquid performance. Th...