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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
Published on: December 16, 2022
Enhanced photodecarboxylation of an aryl ester in polyethylene films
Tadashi Mori1, Yoshihisa Inoue, Richard G Weiss
1Department of Molecular Chemistry, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita 565-0871, Japan. tmori@chem.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
[reaction: see text] Photodecarboxylation is the exclusive photoreaction of 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (S)-2-methylbutanoate in unstretched high-density polyethylene films. The sole product, (S)-1-(2-methylpropyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene, is formed with complete retention of stereochemistry. In other polyethylene films, organic solvents, and beta-cyclodextrin cavities, cage-escaped products derived from Fries-type bond scission are obtained as well. The results indicate the importance of the media in controlling the conformations of aryl esters and, thereby, their photoreactions.
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