Design of a decomposable and recyclable polymeric material via oligo(trithiocarbonate) and its chemical reaction with allylamine

Abstract Interest in environmental problems is increasing worldwide. Among these issues, microplastics—microscaled plastics formed from plastic waste—are emerging as a serious threat. Various animals in the ocean and other environments are affected by microplastics. In this work, we develop a decomposable and recyclable polymeric material using polystyrene with trithiocarbonate substituents in its chemical structure to remove plastic waste and address the environmental problems associated with plastics. This polymeric material can be decomposed by reaction with allylamine at room temperature and crumbles 96 h after allylamine is poured on it. Moreover, the decomposed polymer is recyclable via a thiol-ene reaction with UV irradiation (λ = 365 nm, 6 h).