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Development of Rapid Environment Degradable and Recyclable Poly(1,3-propylene glycol oxalate) via Ring-opening Polymerization of Seven-Membered Cyclic Oxalate
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Scientists created a new type of plastic that fully breaks down in just 50 days—compared to the hundreds of years regular plastic can take—using cheap, partly plant-based ingredients. This matters because plastic pollution and microplastics are increasingly linked to health concerns, and a plastic that can also be chemically recycled back into its original building blocks offers a promising way to cut waste without relying as heavily on petroleum.
As plastic pollution has become increasingly severe, the development of recyclable and rapidly degradable polyesters has significant practical value and significance. In this study, seven-membered cyclic 1,3-propylene glycol oxalate (POx) was successfully synthesized through a two-step polycondensation-depolymerization method using dimethyl oxalate (a low-cost and readily accessible bulk chemical) and bio-based 1,3-propylene glycol as the starting materials. Using Sn(Oct)2 as the catalyst, high-molecular-weight poly(1,3-propylene oxalate) (PPOx) was efficiently prepared via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of POx. This ROP demonstrated excellent reactivity, attaining a monomer conversion up to 95% within 10 min, and PPOx had a maximum intrinsic viscosity (η) of 1.06 dL/g. Furthermore, the prepared PPOx could be catalytically depolymerized to enable efficient recovery of the POx monomer, with a yield of 60% and a purity of 98%. The degradation performance tests indicated that PPOx exhibited rapid degradation, reaching a degradation rate of up to 99% within 50 days. Owing to the innovative selection of raw materials and the design of a closed-loop process, this study provides a new economical and sustainable strategy for reducing dependence on petroleum resources, offering valuable insights into the development of recyclable and rapidly degradable polyesters.
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