Work

Closed-Loop Chemical Recycling of Poly(butylene succinate) Using Organocatalysts

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Plastics are indispensable to modern life, yet pose a double-edged sword as their escalating production threatens human health and ecosystems. This urgent reality drives intensive efforts to develop recycling technologies that convert waste plastics into valuable feedstocks. Herein, we develop an efficient organocatalytic strategy for the depolymerization and closed-loop chemical recycling of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). The strong organic base TBD demonstrated the highest catalytic activity for the methanolysis depolymerization of PBS, achieving a yield of 93.1% under mild conditions (100 °C, 2 h). GC and MS analyses identified dimethyl succinate (DMS) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) as the major products. Investigation into the depolymerization behavior and mechanism revealed that the process proceeds via random chain scission, facilitated by a dual hydrogen-bonding activation mechanism mediated by TBD. Closed-loop chemical recycling was achieved by repolymerizing the recovered monomers into PBS. The reproduced polymer exhibited properties comparable to commercial virgin PBS. Moreover, this strategy could be extended to other commercial polyester systems, establishing an eco-friendly and viable pathway for sustainable polymer recycling.

Source: Polymers

DOI: 10.3390/polym18111267

Authors: Na Liu, Peng Du, Yi Meng, Gangqiang Zhang, Kaitao Zhang, Yu Pan

Institution: Qingdao University

Language: English

Topic: biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties

Subfield: Biomaterials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258