Upcycling of Poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) to Valuable Chemicals by TBD‐Catalyzed Efficient Methanolysis Strategy
Bingzhe Dong, Guangqiang Xu, Rulin Yang, Qinggang Wang
Abstract
Abstract As a petroleum‐derived polyester material, poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) plays an essential role in biomedical field due to its excellent biocompatibility and non‐toxicity. With the increasing use of PCL in recent years, its waste disposal has become a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we demonstrate a high‐efficiency organocatalysis strategy for the chemical upcycling of PCL to valuable chemical. Among organocatalysts explored in this article, 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4,4,0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD) shows superior performance for transforming end‐of‐life poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) into highly value‐added methyl 6‐hydroxyhexanoate with quantitative conversion in a short time. The endwise unzipping depolymerization mechanism is corroborated by monitoring molecular weight during depolymerization process and 1 H NMR control experiments. Furthermore, this approach is also practicable for large‐scale depolymerization for commercial PCL plastics, providing idea for promoting the sustainable development of PCL plastics.