Mild and metal-free chemical recycling of polyureas via acylation-activated bond cleavage.

ABSTRACT: Chemical recycling of polymers offers a promising strategy to convert post-consumer waste into reusable monomers and chemicals. However, the inherent stability of covalent bonds in many durable polymers, such as polyureas, renders their chemical deconstruction particularly challenging. Herein, we report a mild, efficient and metal-free method for the depolymerization and recovery of both linear and cross-linked polyureas via an acylation-activated urea bond cleavage strategy. Treatment with low-cost, commercially available acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid under ambient pressure transforms robust urea linkages into labile acetylurea intermediates in high yield, which subsequently undergo efficient alkaline hydrolysis to regenerate the pristine diamine monomers. Notably, the reclaimed mono

SUBMITTER: Yu E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12673572 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature