Hybrid monomer design for unifying conflicting polymerizability, recyclability, and performance properties

Abstract

Synthetic polymers have become indispensable for modern life and the global economy. However, the manufacturing and disposal of most of today's polymers follow a linear economy model, which has caused accelerated depletion of finite natural resources, severe worldwide plastics pollution, and enormous materials value loss. The design of future circular polymers considers closed-loop lifecycles toward a circular economy. A key challenge of this promising design includes innovation in monomer structure that could enable not only efficient polymerization to polymers with properties comparable to today's polymers but also selective depolymerization to recover the monomers with high yield and purity. However, these contrasting properties are conflicting in a single monomer structure. This work introduces a hybrid monomer design concept that hybridizes contrasting parent monomer structures to an offspring monomer that can unify conflicting (de)polymerizability and performance properties.