A Cleavable Crosslinking Strategy for Commodity Polymer Functionalization and Generation of Reprocessable Thermosets |
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Authors: | Liting Bi Benjamin Godwin Dr. Miranda J. Baran Dr. Rashid Nazir Prof. Jeremy E. Wulff |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 2Y2 Canada;2. XlynX Materials, Inc., Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2 Canada |
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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. |
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Keywords: | Diazirines Polymer Crosslinking Polymer Functionalization Polymer Processing Thermosets |
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