Bio-Sourced 4-Aryl-1,2-Dithiolanes for Recyclable Poly(disulfide)s with High Performance

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Growing demand for circular plastics economy necessitates development of recyclable polymers.
• Poly(disulfide)s offer intrinsic degradability via dynamic covalent S─S bonds.
• Current poly(disulfide)s derived from lipoic acid often lack sufficient thermal and mechanical properties for broad applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel class of aryl-substituted 1,2-dithiolane monomers.
• To investigate the ring-opening polymerization of these monomers into aryl-substituted poly(disulfide)s.
• To evaluate the recyclability, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties of the resulting polymers for sustainable material applications.

Main Methods:

• Scalable synthesis of aryl-substituted 1,2-dithiolane monomers from bio-sourced phenol ethers.
• Ring-opening polymerization of the synthesized monomers to produce aryl-substituted poly(disulfide)s.
• Characterization of polymer properties including recyclability, thermal stability, optical performance, and mechanical strength of crosslinked networks.

Main Results:

• Successful scalable synthesis of novel aryl-substituted 1,2-dithiolane monomers.
• Aryl-substituted poly(disulfide)s exhibited high recyclability without compromising stability.
• Systematic improvement in thermal properties was observed with the introduction of aryl side chains.
• Competitive optical properties and robust mechanical properties in crosslinked networks were achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed aryl-substituted poly(disulfide)s present a promising advancement in recyclable polymer technology.
• These polymers demonstrate a favorable balance of recyclability, stability, and enhanced physical properties.
• The findings highlight the potential of these novel materials for diverse applications within the sustainable materials sector.