Converting inorganic sulfur into degradable thermoplastics and adhesives by copolymerization with cyclic disulfides.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38719820.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-48097-4 and PMC identifier 11079033.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Converting elementary sulfur into sulfur-rich polymers provides a sustainable strategy to replace fossil-fuel-based plastics. However, the low ring strain of eight-membered rings, i.e., S<sub>8</sub> monomers, compromises their ring-opening polymerization (ROP) due to lack of an enthalpic driving force and as a consequence, poly(sulfur) is inherently unstable. Here we report that copolymerization with cyclic disulfides, e.g., 1,2-dithiolanes, can enable a simple and energy-saving way to convert elementary sulfur into sulfur-rich thermoplastics. The key strategy is to combine two types of ROP-both mediated by disulfide bond exchange-to tackle the thermodynamic instability of poly(sulfur). Meanwhile, the readily modifiable sidechain of the cyclic disulfides provides chemical space to engineer the mechanical properties and dynamic functions over a large range, e.g., self-repairing ability and degradability. Thus, this simple and robust system is expected to be a starting point for the organic transformation of inorganic sulfur toward sulfur-rich functional and green plastics.