Mechanochemical synthesis of inverse vulcanized polymers

Peiyao Yan (), Wei Zhao, Fiona McBride, Diana Cai, Joseph Dale, Veronica Hanna and Tom Hasell ()
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Peiyao Yan: University of Liverpool
Wei Zhao: University of Liverpool
Fiona McBride: University of Liverpool
Diana Cai: University of Liverpool
Joseph Dale: University of Liverpool
Veronica Hanna: University of Liverpool
Tom Hasell: University of Liverpool

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Inverse vulcanization, a sustainable platform, can transform sulfur, an industrial by-product, into polymers with broad promising applications such as heavy metal capture, electrochemistry and antimicrobials. However, the process usually requires high temperatures (≥159 °C), and the crosslinkers needed to stabilize the sulfur are therefore limited to high-boiling-point monomers only. Here, we report an alternative route for inverse vulcanization—mechanochemical synthesis, with advantages of mild conditions (room temperature), short reaction time (3 h), high atom economy, less H2S, and broader monomer range. Successful generation of polymers using crosslinkers ranging from aromatic, aliphatic to volatile, including renewable monomers, demonstrates this method is powerful and versatile. Compared with thermal synthesis, the mechanochemically synthesized products show enhanced mercury capture. The resulting polymers show thermal and light induced recycling. The speed, ease, versatility, safety, and green nature of this process offers a more potential future for inverse vulcanization, and enables further unexpected discoveries.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32344-7

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