Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Mechanochemical Backbone Editing

Xiao-Hui Zhang; Ya-Jun Zhao; Can Wang; Shan Tang

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y

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Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units via Mechanochemical Backbone Editing

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2025-07-14

- Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units via Mechanochemical Backbone Editing
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 43, Issue 6, Pages: 952-957(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  b.School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Author bio：
  
  tang.shan@sjtu.edu.cn
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y
  CLC： M
- Received：23 October 2024，
  
  Revised：2024-12-12，
  
  Accepted：15 December 2024，
  
  Online First：24 February 2025，
  
  Published：20 May 2025
- Accepted：
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Zhang, X. H.; Zhao, Y. J.; Wang, C.; Tang, S. Accessing degradable polyethylene materials with in-chain ester units via mechanochemical backbone editing. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2025, 43, 952–957

Xiao-Hui Zhang, Ya-Jun Zhao, Can Wang, et al. Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units via Mechanochemical Backbone Editing[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2025, 43(6): 952-957. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y.
Zhang, X. H.; Zhao, Y. J.; Wang, C.; Tang, S. Accessing degradable polyethylene materials with in-chain ester units via mechanochemical backbone editing. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2025, 43, 952–957 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y.

Xiao-Hui Zhang, Ya-Jun Zhao, Can Wang, et al. Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units via Mechanochemical Backbone Editing[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2025, 43(6): 952-957. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y. DOI：

摘要

Mechanochemical backbone editing converts side-chain ester units in polyethylene materials to in-chain ester units. Copolymers are first synthesized via ethylene/CBL copolymerization

followed by ball-milling-induced cycloreversion

enabling access to degradable polyethylene materials with in-chain ester units.

Abstract

Incorporating a low density of ester units into the backbone of polyethylene materials enhances their sustainability and recyclability while maintaining the main material properties of polyethylenes. Here we report a new way to access degradable polyethylene materials with a low content of in-chain ester units

via

mechanochemical backbone editing. Initially

ester groups are incorporated as side groups through catalytic copolymerization of ethylene with a cyclobutene-fused lactone monomer (CBL)

yielding polyethylene materials with high molecular weights and adjustable thermomecha

nical properties. Subsequent solid-state ball-milling treatment selectively introduces side-chain ester groups into the main chain of the polyethylene materials

via

force-induced cycloreversion of the cyclobutane units. Under acidic conditions

hydrolysis of the resultant polyethylene materials with in-chain ester units facilitates further degradation into oligomers.

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Accessing Degradable Polyethylene Materials with In-chain Ester Units via Mechanochemical Backbone Editing

DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3285-y

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references