Mechanochemically accessing a challenging-to-synthesize depolymerizable polymer.

ABSTRACT: Polymers with low ceiling temperatures (T_c) are highly desirable as they can depolymerize under mild conditions, but they typically suffer from demanding synthetic conditions and poor stability. We envision that this challenge can be addressed by developing high-T_c polymers that can be converted into low-T_c polymers on demand. Here, we demonstrate the mechanochemical generation of a low-T_c polymer, poly(2,5-dihydrofuran) (PDHF), from an unsaturated polyether that contains cyclobutane-fused THF in each repeat unit. Upon mechanically induced cycloreversion of cyclobutane, each repeat unit generates three repeat units of PDHF. The resulting PDHF completely depolymerizes into 2,5-dihydrofuran in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst. The mechanochemic

SUBMITTER: Hsu TG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9840636 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature