Editorial: From materials performance to materials sustainability: ninety years after Otto Bayer
Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: The year 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the pioneering experiments conducted by Otto Bayer, which laid the foundations of polyurethane chemistry.Over the following decades, polymer science demonstrated the extraordinary capacity of chemistry to create materials with increasingly sophisticated combinations of properties and functionalities.Today, however, materials innovation faces a broader challenge.Performance remains essential, but it can no longer be considered independently from resource use, safety, durability, and end-of-life management.The question is no longer simply how to design better materials, but how to design materials that combine functionality with a reduced environmental footprint throughout their entire life cycle.This transition requires a broader integration of chemistry, materials science, and sustainability.Renewable resources, green synthesis, circularity, safer formulations, durability, and lifecycle assessment are no longer independent research directions, but increasingly interconnected elements of materials design.
Source: Green Materials
Author: Sylvain Caillol
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7214110456