IMX Colloquium - Chemical recycling of polymers made by controlled and free radical polymerization

The depolymerization of vinyl polymers (all-carbon backbone) is a promising approach to advance chemical recycling. However, conventional approaches involve extreme temperatures (typically >400 °C), leading to high energy consumption and side reactions. Here, we demonstrate a low-temperature approach for (1) the uncontrolled and controlled depolymerizations of polymethacrylates synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization and (2) the depolymerization of commercial polymethacrylates (e.g. Plexiglas). These strategies not only enable mild chemical recycling but also offer valuable insight into polymer characterization.

Bio: Hyun Suk Wang received his B.Eng and M.Eng in Chemical Engineering from Korea University. He then obtained his PhD at ETH Zurich under the supervision of Prof. Athina Anastasaki as a Swiss Government Excellence Scholar. During his PhD, Hyun Suk’s research revolved around polymer synthesis via controlled radical polymerization and the chemical recycling of polymers via depolymerization. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Prix Schläfli in Chemistry, ETH Medal, ACS Global Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and the Swiss Chemical Society MatChem PhD Student Award, and the ETH Zurich MaP Award.