Sustainable recycling of polyamides via C-N bond cleavage facilitated by methyl tosylate under mild conditions.

ABSTRACT: The escalating issue of plastic "white pollution" urgently calls for efficient and sustainable recycling strategies. Herein, we propose an approach for the depolymerization of polyamides via alcoholysis, utilizing methyl tosylate as an activator to cleave robust amide C-N bonds under mild reaction conditions. This strategy facilitates the efficient conversion of diverse polyamides into high-value monomers, such as ε-caprolactam, amino acid esters, or diamines/diesters, with nearly quantitative yields and excellent selectivities. Experimental and theoretical mechanistic investigations reveal that p-toluene sulfonic acid plays a crucial role in the efficient alcoholysis of polyamides, mediating the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate through the nucleophilic attack of alcohol on the amid

SUBMITTER: Yang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12501216 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature