Temporal Regulation of PET-RAFT Controlled Radical Depolymerization |
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Authors: | Valentina Bellotti Hyun Suk Wang Prof. Nghia P. Truong Prof. Roberto Simonutti Prof. Athina Anastasaki |
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Affiliation: | 1. Laboratory of Polymeric Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg-5, Zurich, 8093 Switzerland;2. Department of Material Science, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via Roberto Cozzi 55, Milan, 20125 Italy |
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Abstract: | A photocatalytic RAFT-controlled radical depolymerization method is introduced for precisely conferring temporal control under visible light irradiation. By regulating the deactivation of the depropagating chains and suppressing thermal initiation, an excellent temporal control was enabled, exemplified by several consecutive “on” and “off” cycles. Minimal, if any, depolymerization could be observed during the dark periods while the polymer chain-ends could be efficiently re-activated and continue to depropagate upon re-exposure to light. Notably, favoring deactivation resulted in the gradual unzipping of polymer chains and a stepwise decrease in molecular weight over time. This synthetic approach constitutes a simple methodology to modulate temporal control during the chemical recycling of RAFT-synthesized polymers while offering invaluable mechanistic insights. |
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Keywords: | Depolymerization PET-RAFT Photocatalysis Reverse RDRP Temporal Control |
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