Chemical transformation of polyurethane into valuable polymers
Polyurethanes are an important class of synthetic polymers, widely used in a variety of applications ranging from everyday items to advanced tools in societal infrastructure. Their inherent cross-linked structure imparts exceptional durability and flexibility, yet this also complicates their degradation and recycling. Here we report a heterogeneous catalytic process that combines methanolysis and hydrogenation with a CO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub> reaction medium, effectively breaking down PU waste consisting of urethane and ester bonds into valuable intermediates like aromatic diamines and lactones. These intermediates are then converted into functional polymers: polyimide (PI), noted for its exceptional thermal and electrical insulation, and polylactone (P(BL-<i>co</i>-CL)), a biodegradable alternative to traditional plastics. Both polymers exhibit enhanced performance compared to existing commercial products. This approach not only contributes to the valorization of plastic waste but also opens new avenues for the creation of high-performance materials.
Authors
- Baotieliang Wang
- Shuheng Tian
- Maolin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7449-9834)
- Xiaoyan Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0050-6699)
- Ding Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3341-2998)
- Jiawei Zou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2589-4765)
- Shifang Luan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7660-9010)
- Meng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8232-2331)
- Haoyi Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9355-4831)
- Bo Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1340-9266)
- Weijie Qiu
Institutions
- Peking University (CN)
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CN)
- Ministry of Education (IR)
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- National Science Review
- Published
- 2024-12-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae393
- Citations
- 17
- Primary Topic
- Polymer composites and self-healing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.87
Funders
- Tencent
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- China National Petroleum Corporation
- Peking University
- State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, Jilin University
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility