Work

Force-Generated N-Heterocyclic Carbene Organocatalyst

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Controlling the life cycle of polymer materials, for example, by extending their useful lifetime and by accelerating their recycling, is crucial to ensure a better future. Such properties can be introduced in an autonomous fashion with the help of force-responsive molecular devices. Mechanocatalysts make a step in this direction, as they have been shown to promote useful chemical transformations upon mechanical activation. However, most of these force-generated catalysts are built from noble metals, which precludes their wider adoption due to cost and processability constraints. Here, we demonstrate the activation, in solution and the solid state, of an N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalyst generated from a betaine mechanophore. Its activity was demonstrated in the solid state via transesterification and polymerization reactions, which are representative of potential recycling and self-healing applications. We anticipate that such metal-free, thermally stable mechanocatalysts should find applications in the control of the life cycle of polymer materials.

Source: ACS Catalysis

DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5c08857

Authors: Alice Weng Ieong, Guillaume De Bo

Institution: University of Manchester

Language: English

Topic: Polymer composites and self-healing

Subfield: Polymers and Plastics

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: green

Funders: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, H2020 European Research Council