A New Life For Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber: Co-Harnessing Metathesis And Condensation For Reincorporation Into Bio-Based Materials

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2024 Mar 18;63(12):e202319414. doi: 10.1002/anie.202319414. Epub 2024 Feb 16.

Abstract

Efficient plastic recycling processes are crucial for the production of value-added products or intermediates. Here, we present a multicatalytic route that allows the degradation of nitrile-butadiene rubber, cross-metathesis of the formed oligomers, and polymerization of the resulting dicarboxylic acids with bio-based diols, providing direct access to unsaturated polyesters. This one-pot approach combines the use of commercially available catalysts that are active and selective under mild conditions to synthesize renewable copolymers without the need to isolate intermediates.

Keywords: Catalysis; NBR; Polyesters; Renewable Polymers; Upcycling.