近日，天津大学王彬团队实现了通过顺式稠环策略合成可回收聚酯。2025年11月18日出版的《国家科学评论》杂志发表了这项成果。

开发化学可回收聚合物对于解决传统线性塑料经济面临的环境与资源制约至关重要。基于其固有的可逆特性，开环聚合技术为开发可回收聚合物提供了巨大潜力。然而，如何在单体聚合能力、聚合物性能与可回收性之间实现平衡仍是关键挑战。

研究组探索了一种新型顺式稠合环丁烷-丁内酯单体（C4GBL）的设计与合成，该单体可用于开环聚合反应，形成主链含1,2-环丁烷单元的聚合物。C4GBL以乙烯和生物基马来酸酐为原料合成，所得聚合物表现出高热稳定性（5%热失重温度达380°C）。对C4GBL开环聚合的热力学分析显示其上限温度为-24°C，表明通过在适当调控条件下既可实现聚合又可实现化学回收。密度泛函理论优化表明，刚性稠合环丁烷迫使C4GBL的内酯片段形成近似重叠构象，从而增强环张力与聚合反应活性。该研究确立了顺式稠环策略作为可回收聚酯的新设计原则。

附：英文原文

Title: Synthesis of recyclable polyesters via a cis-fused ring strategy

Author: Gao, Ruiheng, Liu, Guoquan, Zhang, Zhaoming, Yan, Xuzhou, Tang, Shan, Wang, Bin

Issue&Volume: 2025-11-18

Abstract: The development of chemically recyclable polymers is critical to addressing the environmental and resource limitations of traditional linear plastic economy. Owing to its intrinsic reversibility, ring-opening polymerization (ROP) offers great potential for the development of recyclable polymers. However, achieving a balance between monomer polymerizability, polymer performance, and recyclability remains a key challenge. This study explores the design and synthesis of a novel cis-fused cyclobutane-butyrolactone monomer (C4GBL) for use in ROP, leading to the formation of a polymer with 1,2-cyclobutane units in the main chain. C4GBL was synthesized using ethylene and bio-based maleic anhydride, and the resultant polymer exhibits high thermal stability (Td, 5% = 380°C). Thermodynamic analysis of the ROP of C4GBL revealed a ceiling temperature (Tc) of 24°C, indicating that both polymerization and chemical recycling are feasible under appropriately tuned conditions. Density functional theory optimization reveals that the rigid fused cyclobutane forces the lactone segment of C4GBL into a near-eclipsed conformation, enhancing ring strain and polymerization reactivity. Collectively, this work establishes the cis-fused ring strategy as a new design principle for recyclable polyesters.

DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf516

Source: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf516