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Updated: May 9, 2026
Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
A Substitution-Desymmetrization of Recyclable Poly(β-Thioesters) Strategy for Crystallinity Regulation and
Chun-Yan Lyu1, Yanyuqiu Guo2, Chaoqun Weng1
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
None:
Structural regularity in polymers is a double-edged sword, enhancing crystallinity and thermal stability but often reducing processability and toughness. Here, we present a substitution-desymmetrization strategy to address this trade-off in chemically recyclable polythioesters (PTEs). Copolymerizing symmetric β-gem-dimethyl thiolactone with an asymmetric β-methyl-β-ethyl analog via rare-earth metal-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization enables precise backbone symmetry control, yielding tunable melting temperatures (90-170 °C) and ductility. The optimized copolymer self-assembles into hierarchical helical nanofiber bundles, achieving strong adhesion across substrates (lap-shear strength up to 9.48 MPa on iron). The adhesive performs well at extreme temperatures (-196 and 120 °C) and shows superior water resistance compared to commercial cyanoacrylate. Moreover, PTEs remain fully chemically recyclable. This work offers a sustainable platform for high-performance materials via symmetry engineering.
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