FURI | Summer 2024

Synthesis of Novel Depolymerizable Supramolecular Polyethylene

Chemical recycling is a process that involves the breakdown of polymer chains through chemical reactions into their fundamental building blocks that can be used to synthesize a new polymer. However, polyethylene, one of the most widely used plastics in industry, is made of a simple hydrocarbon structure that makes it impossible to chemically recycle. Therefore, the goal of this project is to incorporate chemically degradable segments into the polyethylene chain to provide an economical pathway for chemical recycling. This process is preferred over mechanical recycling as it can be performed many times over, independent of the origin or end-of-life of the plastic.