Learning Nature: Recyclable Monomers and Polymers

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 24; no. 44; pp. 11255 - 11266
• Main Authors: Lu, Xiao‐Bing, Liu, Ye, Zhou, Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 06.08.2018
• Subjects: Carbon cycle; Chemistry; Degradability; depolymerization; Ecosystem management; Monomers; Natural environment; Organic chemistry; Plastic debris; Polymers; recyclable; Recyclable materials; Recycling; repolymerization; sustainable polymers; thermoreversible; depolymerization; repolymerization; sustainable polymers; thermoreversible; recyclable
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201704461

Recycling processes (such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen cycles etc.) occur each day as an essential character for nature. Managed ecosystems have maintained the natural environment in a state of great harmony for millions of years. In recent decades, various polymers with long‐term durability have been developed to be the most predominantly used materials, and have drastically changed the lifestyle of human beings. However, the tremendous growth of plastic debris, with no or very low degradability, over the past decades significantly affects the natural environment. The use of alternative recycling materials is the best option from the environmental point of view. This critical review highlights the most significant progress in chemically recyclable materials, especially several typical systems, which embody perfect recycling between polymers and the starting monomers. Recycling processes, such as carbon cycles, occur every day as an essential character for nature. Harmony in nature inspires chemists’ motivation to design monomer/polymer cycles by reversible polymerization/depolymerization processes. This review illustrates the most significant progress in chemically recyclable materials, which embody perfect recycling between polymers and the starting monomers.