Sulfur-Rich Polymers From Elemental Sulfur: Sustainable Pathways and Emerging Applications in Sustainable Materials...

Polymers with sulfur atoms in the backbone exhibit significant potential in diverse fields, including energy storage, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications, due to their electrochemical behavior, high refractive indices, and self-healing capabilities, leading them to be known as smart polymers. The development of such sulfur polymers from a green and sustainable substrate can be achieved by opting for elemental sulfur. Elemental sulfur is abundant in fossil fuels and is the by-product of fossil fuel refining. Current disposal strategies for excess sulfur focus on chemical transformations into valuable chemicals. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the synthesis and application of sulfur-rich polymers from elemental sulfur. Various innovative methods, including inverse vulcanization, multicomponent polymerization, and mechanochemical approaches, have been explored to create high-performance polymers with unique properties. This review highlights the importance of utilizing sulfur, a byproduct of petroleum refining, as a sustainable feedstock for polymer chemistry, paving the way for environmentally friendly materials with enhanced functionalities.