"Like Recycles Like": Selective Ring-Closing Depolymerization of Poly(L-Lactic Acid) to L-Lactide.

ABSTRACT: Chemical recycling of poly(L-lactic acid) to the cyclic monomer L-lactide is hampered by low selectivity and by epimerization and elimination reactions, impeding its use on a large scale. The high number of side reactions originates from the high ceiling temperature (T_c ) of L-lactide, which necessitates high temperatures or multistep reactions to achieve recycling to L-lactide. To circumvent this issue, we utilized the impact of solvent interactions on the monomer-polymer equilibrium to decrease the T_c of L-lactide. Analyzing the observed T_c in different solvents in relation to their Hildebrand solubility parameter revealed a "like recycles like" relationship. The decreased T_c , obtained by selecting solvents that interact strongly with the mono

SUBMITTER: Cederholm L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9541399 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature